Soldier Dies In Raid To Recover Arms In Okene

One soldier?was?killed and two operatives of the State Security Service (SSS)? wounded in an operation launched by security agents to recover illegal arms from suspected hoodlums in Okene, Kogi on Friday night.

Security sources told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja on Saturday that security agents stormed the town on?Friday evening in a house-to-house search for illegal arms,?apparently in possession of some youths.

Hardly had the operation started when the youth regrouped in Okengwe area and engaged the security agents in a gun battle?which lasted till the early hours of this morning, according to an authoritative?security source.

The source further told NAN that a reinforcement of soldiers was on its way from Abuja.

Some residents of Okene in Kogi Central senatorial district,?said that they stayed awake throughout the night because of gunshot sound.

NAN reports that Okene town has witnessed serial killings in recent times, and in a bid to curtail the?situation, the state government imposed a curfew on the town some months ago, which is still in force.?(NAN)