Turkana
Sunday March 31,2024
KNA by Peter Gitonga
A shootout between National Police Service (NPS) Officers from Loima and suspected bandits at Kangalita in Kalemnyang left three of the suspects dead.
According to the national police service statement to the press, one of the suspects, Simon Egielan Lopongorei, 37, a notorious bandit and gang leader had three pending court cases of robbery with violence, gang-rape and threatening to kill.
Lopongorei 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. The second suspect, Lokucha Ngeruk a.k.a sharpshooter, 39, a close associate and aide to Egielan. has been on the run after the killing of a police officer at Kangalita 3yrs ago.
He is also accused of laying an ambush on Lorugum OCS on the 28/12/2023 occassioning him actual bodily harm.
The third suspect is Tiya Logumo aged, 21 who is an accomplice to the two.
Recovered from the scene was an AK 47 Rifle with a magazine containing 3 rounds of ammunitions together with spent cartridges.
Their bodies were moved to Lodwar County Referral Hospital pending post mortem examination.
“The National Police Service would like to thank members of public for their continued cooperation in the ongoing Government efforts to restore peace and normalcy in the “Dangerous and Disturbed Zones” within the North Rift Region,” said NPS.