BEVERLY HILLS, April 17, (THEWILL) – Contingents of Team Nasarawa have been attacked by gunmen, on their way back from the recently concluded 20th National Sports Festival held in Benin City, Edo State.
A statement by the spokesman of the Nasarawa State Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Eche Amos, said, “Armed robbers accosted the team at Akeleku village, some two kilometres after Kadarko town, along Makurdi-Lafia express road.”
The statement added: “The 56-seater Team bus had rammed into the robbers who were already carrying out their nefarious act on other commuters on the highway on Thursday night, 15th April 2021.
“The heavily armed robbers, who appeared in military camouflage uniform, had asked the Team Nasarawa bus driver and other occupants to descend from their vehicle as they got positioned to unleash mayhem.
“But unknown to the robbers, one of the escort officers attached to the Team Nasarawa contingent immediately opened fire, killing one of the gang members on the spot.
“As the Team Nasarawa bus was escaping the operation scene, some of the hoodlums who were hiding inside the bush returned multiple gunfires, bursting the tyres and shattering the radiator of the bus, which led to the occupants of the vehicle, the majority of whom were athletes and coaches, scampering for safety.
“More security reinforcements were immediately called and the ugly situation which lasted for over four hours was brought under control, as the entire Team Nasarawa contingent members were re-united unharmed and returned safely to their destination in Lafia, the state’s capital, in the early hours of today, Friday, 16th April, 2021, contrary to some social media reports that some members of the returning Team were injured and missing.”
Team Nasarawa attended the biennial sports fiesta with a 210-member contingent, and featured in 25 events, winning a total of 22 medals at the Edo 2020 National Sports Festival, with five Gold, four Silver and 13 Bronze medals, to finish 18th on the medals table after 14 days of sporting hostilities that saw Team Delta emerging overall best.
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