Posted by By MATTHEW DIKE on
Two policemen, who recently won the Commissioner of Police awards for gallantry in Lagos, have been killed in a shootout with armed robbers at the Apapa area of the state.
• 4 others injured
Two policemen, who recently won the Commissioner of Police awards for gallantry in Lagos, have been killed in a shootout with armed robbers at the Apapa area of the state.
The gallant policemen, Inspector Nwose Akagbue and Sergeant Cletus Emejor, however, took two of the robbers along with them.
The bloody battle with the bandits, who were moving in two cars, also left four policemen injured. Three members of the gang were, however, arrested.
Reports say the policemen were on patrol along Tin-Can Island and were negotiating a bend near Coconut busstop when the robbers saw them and immediately launched an attack.
After the battle, one of the robbers was held as he tried to haul his dead partner into a get-away car.
The police found on one of the arrested robbers, a bullet-proof vest that was earlier stolen from an officer.
At the Apapa divisional headquarters, where the brave officers were attached to, tears flowed. Officers and men in sorrowful mood were seen in groups discussing the tragedy.
The Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, had, on hearing the news, dashed to the scene minutes after the incident happened and later visited the injured policemen at the hospital. He was accompanied by the Area ‘B' Commander, Mr Femi Oyeleye, and the Divisional Police Officer, Ali Mohammed.
The slain sergeant and inspector were beneficiaries of the newly introduced commissioner of police award, which comes in form of cash and certificate to encourage policemen who have shown extraordinary commitment in keeping the society safe and secure.
The heroic policemen won the award after they foiled a bank robbery in the Apapa area and recovered six assorted firearms.