• Lopii chief Benjamin Ebenyo said donkeys, goats, cows and camels were stolen from 50 households during the attack.
More than 6,000 residents of Lopii in Turkana East have fled their homes following a banditry attack. https://bit.ly/3pJHQnI
More than 6,000 residents of Lopii in Turkana East have fled their homes following a banditry attack.
The bandits, believed to have come from Tiaty, Baringo county, on Tuesday raided Lopii in Turkana East. They shot and injured a police officer, damaged four police vehicles and drove away an unknown number of animals.
Lopii chief Benjamin Ebenyo said donkeys, goats, cows and camels were stolen from 50 households during the attack.
“More than 6,000 residents including schoolchildren of Lopii Primary School have fled to Nakukulas,” he said.
Turkana East subcounty police commander Edwin Ongwari said while security officers were pursuing the bandits, they were ambushed at Kachalanga village in Lokori.
“The officers engaged the bandits in a fierce fight that lasted about one hour, resulting to the injury of a police officer attached to Lokori police station. The officer was shot on the lower left leg near the ankle.”
Ongwari said the security team overpowered the bandits and repulsed them towards River Kerio.
In January, a senior police officer was shot and killed by bandits in Kapedo, Turkana county.
Three other officers were wounded in the attack.
The deceased was a deputy head of operations at the General Service Unit in Nairobi.
The government imposed a 30-day curfew in parts of Baringo and Turkana counties to restore calm and order in the region.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i later lifted the dusk-to-dawn curfew in Kapedo, Turkana county. The 6pm to 6am curfew lasted 30 days.
“We shall however retain the 10pm-4am curfew in line with the presidential directives on the revised Covid-19 containment measures,” the Interior CS said in a statement.
He said authorities had recovered 53 firearms in the operation.