Six persons, including two expatriates and two police inspectors, were killed by gunmen on Friday during an attack on their convoy in Kogi State.

Also killed in the attack were two drivers of the expatriates working with the West Africa Ceramics Company Ajaokuta, in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP William Ovye-Aya, made the disclosure on Saturday in a statement in Lokoja.

Ovye-Aya explained that the six victims; two expatriates, two company drivers, and two police inspectors died in a gun battle with the hoodlums along the Lokoja-Ajaokuta road around 8 pm on Friday.

He added that the expatriates were being escorted by police to the company when the gunmen opened fire on them.

He said that the Area Commander and a detachment of soldiers in the area reinforced the incident scene before the gunmen fled.

The police spokesperson further said that the state Commissioner of Police, Edward Egbuka, visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment.

Ovye-Aya stated, “The CP assures the public that the command is committed to working in synergy with other security agencies as well as patriotic stakeholders to make the state a safe and secure place for all and sundry.

“He has further asked the deputy commissioner of police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department to commence investigations into the unfortunate incident to unravel the remote and immediate cause of the attack with a view to bringing the perpetrators to book.’’

Meanwhile, the state government said it was working to rescue the three children kidnapped at a housing estate in the Ajaokuta Local Government Area of the state on Friday.

The abductors had demanded N100m ransom for their release.

The state Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mr. Kingsley Fanwo, noted in a statement on Saturday that the government remained committed to the security of the people.

He stated that the government was working alongside security agencies, and vigilance groups to ensure that the abducted children were rescued alive and their abductors brought to book.

Fanwo added, “There is already a massive deployment to the area to achieve results. Kogi is known for distinguishing herself in ensuring the security of lives and property of not only the residents but also of travelers crossing the state. In as much as we activate dynamism in our security architecture and strategy, we recognize the fact that some cowards will sometimes try to undermine our efforts. What we have always done in such circumstances is to go after the criminals, apprehend them and bring them to justice.’’

The commissioner assured that the state government would not shirk its responsibility and would continue to work with security agencies to retain its position as “the safest state in the country.’’