A yet-to-be-identified notorious robber was killed during a gun battle with operatives of the Edo State Police Command on Tuesday at the Abuja Quarters, Government Reserved Area, Benin.
The PUNCH reported that the police were at the scene to respond to a distress call from residents but were engaged in a gun duel, leading to the suspect’s death while his gang fled the scene.
Confirming the report, the state Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Jennifer Iwegbu, in a statement, said efforts are ongoing to capture the fleeing gang members.
The statement read in part, “In its unrelenting efforts to stem the increasing rate of armed robbery and other vices in the state, operatives of the Edo State Police Command attached to its Ugbor divisional headquarters on July 12, 2022, around 4.45am neutralised an armed robbery suspect.
“Following a distress call to the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ugbor division that there was an ongoing robbery operation along Abuja Quarters by Benson Idahosa University, Ugbor, GRA, Benin City, the DPO personally led operatives to the scene with the aim of arresting the suspects.
“On arrival at the scene, the suspects, on sighting police operatives, engaged them in a gun duel. However, the superior firepower of the police operatives neutralised one of the suspected armed robbers.
“Items recovered from the suspect included one pump-action gun and five live cartridges, while efforts are ongoing to arrest the fleeing gang members.”
In a related development, the Nasarawa State Police Command said it arrested three suspected robbers who had been disturbing the peace of residents in the Karu Local Government Area of the state.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ramhan Nansel, in a statement on Tuesday, explained that the officers who arrested the suspects recovered some firearms, cartridges and a stolen vehicle from them.
The statement read in part, “The police operatives attached to the New Karu Area Command via actionable intelligence successfully apprehended the trio of Musa Mohammed, 33; Adams Lawal, 32; and Mark Friday, 32.
“Two locally-fabricated pistols, one pump-action gun, seven rounds of live cartridges and one Honda Accord snatched at gunpoint from a victim at One Man village were recovered from the suspects as exhibits.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the trio are a syndicate of armed robbers who specialise in car-snatching. They attack unsuspecting members of the public who go out very early in the morning to work or business places and snatch their vehicles. Further investigation also led to the arrest of one Kayode Olajide, the receiver of the stolen vehicle.”
