Gunmen on Friday attacked athletes and officials of Team Nasarawa, who were returning to Lafia from the just-ended National Sports Festival, Newsacross reports.

The incident happened about 1.45am at Akeleku village, after Kadarko town, along Makurdi-Lafia Road in the early hours of Friday.

According to the Public Relations Officer of the state’s Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Eche Amos, the bus conveying Team Nasarawa rammed into the gunmen, who appeared in military camouflage uniforms, but were restrained by their escorts during a shootout.

He said the ambush, which lasted for about four hours, saw one of the gunmen shot dead.

“They asked the Team Nasarawa bus driver and other occupants to alight from their bus as they got positioned to unleash mayhem,” Amos said in a statement made available to News Across Newspaper.

“But unknown to them, one of the escort attached to the Team Nasarawa contingent immediately opened fire, killing one of the gang members on the spot.

“Some hoodlums, who hid in the bush, also shot at the team bus, deflating the bus tyres and shattering the radiator of the bus, which led to athletes and coaches scampering for safety.