Chukwudi Akasike,Port Harcourt

An armourer to Boboski, a suspected notorious kidnapper and armed robber operating in the Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State and its environs, was reportedly gunned down on Thursday during a joint operation by the personnel of the Nigerian Army and the police.

It was gathered that the security personnel had through intelligence located the hideout of the armourer, who was said to be the second-in-command of Boboski.

A top security source, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, explained that the armourer and his gang had opened fire on the soldiers and policemen from their hideout when they noticed that they had been surrounded.

The fierce gun battle, according to the source, lasted several hours as the criminal gang tried to no avail to protect their armoury located in a thick forest in Gokana.

While Boboski’s armourer, whose name could not be ascertained as of the time of filing this report, and other members of the gang were gunned down during the battle, a huge cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from the hideout.

The security source stated, “Yes, an armourer to Boboski, who doubles as his second-in-command, was killed in a gun battle today (Thursday). The armourer was killed in a bush, where he and other gang members were guarding arms and ammunition used in perpetrating crime in the Gokana LGA.

“It was a joint operation. Soldiers and policemen traced the hideout of the armourer and his gang. As they got closer to the hideout and the armoury, there was a fierce exchange of gunfire and the armourer was shot dead.”

It was gathered that the escaped gang members later attacked a village in what appeared to be a reprisal by the hoodlums, who felt that some residents of the village must have given out information about their hideout to the security agencies.

When contacted, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Nnamdi Omoni, said though he was aware of the development, he had not been briefed about it.

Boboski and his gang had been terrorising Gokana and its environs before Governor Nyesom Wike placed a bounty on him.