Posted by By Osaro Okhomina on
ARMED MEN, dressed in military uniform, yesterday, held hostage for hours, travellers including the news crew of the privately-owned Independent Television (ITV) along the Benin-Lagos express way and the bypass in Edo State, dispossesing them of their valuables. Some of the victims were injured.
BENIN CITY - ARMED MEN, dressed in military uniform, yesterday, held hostage for hours, travellers including the news crew of the privately-owned Independent Television (ITV) along the Benin-Lagos express way and the bypass in Edo State, dispossesing them of their valuables. Some of the victims were injured.
The State Command of the Police headed by Mr Muktar Abass immediately deployed patrol teams of the Mobile Unit in the area on a 24-hour patrol to check the menace of the robbers.
Vanguard gathered that the robbers started operation as early as 9.30 am causing panic among travellers and other vehicle owners. It was gathered that the robbers who disguised as a patrol team of the former military/police task force jumped onto the expressway, after attempts to flag down a target failed, and they opened fire on the bus filled with passengers.
The driver of the vehicle, according to an eyewitness, lost control of the vehicle and sommersaulted and the robbers embarked on a robbery spree as other vehicles following were forced to a stop by the accident.
Vanguard however gathered that the vehicle conveying the newsmen quickly made a U-turn and reported the robbery operation to the mobile policemen on the other end of the bypass along the Auchi-Abuja road but their response was poor,
"We were shocked at their response but we called the Police Public Relations man and the police later arrived at the scene of the incident after the robbers had left."
Contacted on the incident, the Police image maker, Mr Peter Ogboi confirmed the incident to Vanguard but said no life was lost in the robbery and that those wounded have been taken to the hospital for medical attention.