By TUNDE RAHEEM, Akure and BOLU-OLU ESHO, Ado-Ekiti
Monday, December 8, 2008
The Ondo State police command and their Ekiti counterpart have killed two suspected armed robbers and arrested four others.
The robbers were said to have entered one House of Assembly member (name withheld) at Ijapo Estate in Akure metropolis in the early morning on Friday and locked the first son of the lawmaker in a room while the robbers at gun point ordered the victim and his wife to bring out money and other valuable items in the house.
The robbery operations was said to be going on while the victim’s son who was locked inside sneaked out and ran to Ijapo police station to alert the police.
The police led by the DPO mobilized his men to the lawmaker’s house. On sighting the police the robbers jumped through the fence and engaged the police in a gun duel.
In the process, the police gunned down two of the robbers and one was arrested while the fourth escaped. The police asked the one arrested to call the one that escaped and asked his where about. He did and was later arrested.
Police spokesperson, Adeniran Aremu (ASP) while confirming the story gave the names of the two dead robbers as Yinka Bello and Wale. The third, Yemi Babalola who claimed to be a student of one of the Colleges of Education, Osun State assisted the police to arrest the other member of the gang whose name is yet to be released by the police.
Items recovered from the robbers included one Nissan car with registration number Osun AA 582 FNN, two locally made pistol, 12 cartridges, four expended cartridges, N15,000, three handset and bag containing clothes.
The two suspects arrested in Ijesha-Isu, Ekiti State, who were described as inter-state bandits were nabbed while chasing a banker in his car.
Daily Sun investigation revealed that the two suspects, along with two others who were chasing the banker with another car allegedly stolen from Ibadan, had a head-on collision with another vehicle.
While trying to leave the scene of the accident, the people in the neighbourhood who suspected their activities, alerted the police who eventually arrested the two while their colleagues managed to escape.
The arrested suspects, who claimed that they were not robbers but were in town on an invitation, led the police to the residence of their host, who is a prominent aide of a former governor of the state (names withheld).
Upon interrogation, the suspects were said to have confessed that they always used the house of the former governor’s aide as a hide out.
The former governor’s aide is said to be giving the police useful information on the spate of robbery incidents in the state.
Speaking on phone, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chris Ola, confirmed the arrest of the two armed robbery suspects, explaining that their host, a prominent politician in the state, claimed that he was not aware that the suspects were into robbery.
Anthony
Spain
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