The police in Lokoja on Sunday confirmed the death of 10 persons when gunmen invaded Kpanche community in Bassa Local Government Area of Kogi State.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Ali Janga, told newsmen that the dead included five residents of the community while five of the armed bandits were killed during a cross fire with security agents.

He said that the bandits invaded the sleepy agrarian community in the early hours of Sunday but they were quickly repelled by a combined team of policemen and soldiers.

“Yes, five lives were lost in the village but operatives of the police mobile force and soldiers repelled them and succeeded in killing five bandits and recovered some weapons.

“So far, normalcy has been restored in the area,” Janga said in response to a message sent to him on the incident.

According to him, five houses and unspecified number of vehicles, tricycles, motorcycles and other properties were set ablaze by the bandits.

He said that security agents would remain on ground in Kpanche while full investigation into the incident had commenced.