Bandits on Saturday ambushed policemen who were on their way for an operation at Jankaska village in Igabji Local Government Area of Kaduna State and killed four of them.

The policemen were said to have died during a gun duel with the bandits.

Yakubu Sabo, the spokesman of the state police command, confirmed the incident in a text  message.

He said the incident occurred around 6:30pm on Saturday when the Inspection General of Police Intelligence Rapid Response Team was in the area for an operation.

He said: “At about 0630hrs of Saturday,  a team of detectives attached to IGP IRT while on operation along Jankasa village of Rigasa Kaduna,  were ambushed by armed bandits.

“After a fierce  gun battle, four  of our policemen paid the supreme sacrifice”.

He said reinforcement had been sent to the area to arrest the attackers.

He said the police was doing everything possible to fish out the hoodlums and bring them to justice.

Police sources in Abuja said that the operatives were killed in a gun fight during an ambush by kidnappers attempting to rescue two arrested gang members.

A source said: “As the team were coming out of the bush with the arrested kidnappers, other gang-members hiding inside the bush ambushed the IRT team and opened fire which resulted to the death of four operatives. The operatives killed in the attack include; Inspector Benard Odibo, Inspector Mamman Abubakar, Inspector Haruna Ibrahim and Sargent Emmanuel Istifanus.”

Six kidnappers were said to have been killed in the gun battle, including the two kidnappers initially arrested by the police.

The bodies of the deceased operatives were said to have been deposited at Saint Gerald Hospital mortuary Kaduna State for autopsy, Daily Trust learnt yesterday.

“Very serious efforts are in progress to get the killers to Justice,” police sources stated.

When contacted yesterday, Police spokesman acting DCP,  Jimoh Moshood, confirmed the deaths of the four police operatives and noted that some bandits were also killed in the gun battle.

He said the IGP Ibrahim Idris had directed that the deceased police men be given a befitting burial, and all the compensation due to them should be promptly paid.