3 Bandits Killed in Shoot-out with Police in Turkana County » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 31 – Three suspected bandits have been killed after a shoot-out with police in Loima, Turkana County.
A statement from the National Police Service says among those killed is a notorious bandit with three pending court cases of robbery with violence.
The statement reads, “Simon Egielan Lopongorei, 37, a notorious bandit and gang leader who has 3 pending court cases of robbery with violence, gang-rape and threatening to kill; and has been under investigation for a series of unresolved violent crimes, including highway robberies stock-theft and possession of illicit firearms for hire within Loima Sub-County.”
His two aides are suspected to have been behind the ambush on Lorugum OCS on December 28 last year. According to the police, “Lokucha Ngeruk a.k.a sharpshooter, 39, a close associate and aide to Egielan and has been on the run after the killing of a police officer at Kangalita 3 years ago, and ambush on Lorugum OCS on the 28/12/2023 occasioning him actual bodily harm. The third is Tiya Logumo aged, 21 who is an accomplice to the two.”
The operation comes a day after President William Ruto convened a security meeting to discuss the situation in the North Rift.
There have been concerns that the year-long Operation Maliza Uhalifu may not be yielding the expected fruits following reports of pockets of bandit attacks in the five counties that had been declared Dangerous and Disturbed Zones.
The spike of insecurity has left hundreds displaced from their homes as they move to escape banditry attacks.
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