Four gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have been shot dead in a shoot out with members of vigilante at Manyare village, near Kotonkarfe town along Abuja -Lokoja highway.

Daily trust learnt that three among the alleged kidnappers were arrested at the scene while attempting to escape into the bush.

A member of the vigilante group who preferred anonymity said the incident happened around 6: 37 am on Tuesday, when the vigilante on patrol along the axis encountered the the kidnappers.

He said the kidnappers were riding on Bajaj motorcycle on convoy coming from Abuja axis, which he said prompted the vigilante members to flagged them down in order to search them.

“It was immediately we sighted them coming on motorcycles, in which our leader immediately flagged them down. And before we realized what was happening, the one at the back parked his motorcycle and brought out Ak 47 rifle to shoot and we also immediately engaged them, ” he said.

He said it was during the exchange of gun shot in which four among them were gunned down, while three others were apprehended on the spot as they attempted to escape into the bush.

According to him, seven AK 47 rifles were recovered from the kidnappers along side with their motorcycles He said soldiers were immediately invited to the scene to whom the corpses and arrested members of the kidnapped gang were handed over.

Daily trust learnt that the corpses of the kidnappers were conveyed by the soldiers to the palace of the Ohimegye of Igu -Kotonkarfe.

The spokesman of the Kogi state police command, Williams Aya, did not pick calls put across to him and also did not reply text message sent to his phone as at the time of filling this report. (Daily Trust)