The state Police Public Relations Officer, Michael Abattam, however stated that the police were able to repel the hoodlums, who he said, abandoned their vehicles and fled into the Njaba forest, with gunshot injuries.
“Unfortunately for them, the hoodlums ran into a detachment of the Army at Njaba Bridge, who engaged them in another gun battle. During the exchange of gunfire, the hoodlums suffered huge casualties. which made them scampered for safety, running into the bush and abandoned their operational vehicle,” he said.
“Consequently, an aggressive combing of the bush/manhunt for the hoodlums is ongoing to recover more arms and to arrest the fleeing suspects since they cannot move far because of the bloodstains trails seen in the vehicle and on the ground in the bushes.
“However, at the scene, one pump action gun abandoned by one of the injured hoodlums was recovered and the Sienna vehicle used and abandoned was towed to the station for further investigation”.