Posted by By Timothy Ola, Maiduguri on
A mobile police corporal attached to MOPOL 19, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, was among the robbers shot dead by the Borno State police command during a shoot-out with a 15-man gang that specialized in robbing banks.
A mobile police corporal attached to MOPOL 19, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, was among the robbers shot dead by the Borno State police command during a shoot-out with a 15-man gang that specialized in robbing banks.
It was victory for the Nigeria police as a gun duel with the bandits after robbing two banks in Mubi, Adamawa State, saw many of the robbers dead. However, the regret the police seem to be having now is that one of their own, a black sheep, was involved in the robbery.
The robbers were said to have successfully robbed the banks and were retiring to Borno State to share their loot, when the special anti-crime squad from Bornu State command got a tip-off and went after them.
Before he died following serious bullet wounds, the mobile policeman gave his name as Amayo Onozi. He told Daily Sun that he had requested for a casual leave from his unit commander, who turned down the request.
Despite the refusal, Onozi went to the sleepy town of Mubi where he and members of his gang had planned to rob some banks. He said, however, that he was conscripted by other members of the gang.
A police source, however, told Daily Sun that the mobile policeman had already confessed that he joined the gang to raise some money for the burial of his late father.
Briefing newsmen on the breakthrough, the State Police Commissioner, Alhaji Danlami Ya'Adua, disclosed that the mobile policeman was in his uniform when he was shot by the anti-crime squad.
He said a piece of information from the neighbouring state helped the command to trail the bandits to where they engaged them in a gun battle.
Danlami explained that the dare-devil gang swooped on the two banks using sophisticated weapons, at about 12 noon on that fateful Thursday, in Mubi, carting away millions of naira and foreign currencies in a 406 Peugeot saloon car, belonging to one of the banks.
He said luck ran out on the robbers when they decided to drive to Maiduguri, which he said is about four hours' drive from the point of their operation before the policemen in the neigbouring Adamawa State alerted the Borno command of the movement of the robbers.
"We got the signal that the men headed for Biu, which is under our command. We put the Biu Divisional Police at alert. The DPO mobilized his men to intercept the armed robbers, but they resisted the police confrontation. A policeman was wounded in the crossfire that ensued while the men continued their journey en-route Maiduguri," he disclosed.
The commissioner explained that the special anti-crime squad, which he established recently was mobilized immediately to lay ambush for the dare-devil robbers.
His words: "The robbers drove in a convoy of two vehicles: a 406 Peugeot saloon car, and a Toyota Hiace bus as they ran into the ambush laid by the special squad near the "Welcome to Maiduguri" signboard. There was serious and rapid exchange of bullets. The two vehicles, which they used in bringing the money from Mubi, were incapacitated by bullets and they had to flee into the bush. Two members of the gang died during the shoot-out, while seven were arrested having received serious gunshots."
The police boss said other members of the gang were at large even as he promised that his men would continue to search for them. He said his command would always combat the activities of armed robbers in the state.
"By the grace of the Almighty Allah, armed robbers will not have a place in this state. Borno is no-go-area for them and it is better for them to steer clear of the state to avoid deadly confrontations from our men because we have people who are ready to make sacrifices to curtail the activities of criminals," he boasted.
About 16 bags of local and foreign currencies of different denominations were recovered from the robbers. Other items recovered from them include a laptop, handsets, two stolen vehicles and ammunitions.
The suspected armed robbers gave their names as Vincent, from Rivers State, Chukwu Isreal (Enugu State ), Joshua Jimi, leader of the gang, Okputu Ifejuana, Dan Osam, Joseph Dan and Samuel Amah (Abia).