Posted by By Chioma Okezie-Okeh on
Luck has run out of a four-man robbery gang terrorizing Ikorodu area in Lagos State as the police during the week arrested one of them along with dangerous weapons. The police, however, lost one of its men in the operation.
Luck has run out of a four-man robbery gang terrorizing Ikorodu area in Lagos State as the police during the week arrested one of them along with dangerous weapons. The police, however, lost one of its men in the operation.
The police, acting on a tip off that a robbery was underway at a family house at Ijede road stormed the scene-exchanging gun shots with the robbers. In the heat of the gun battle, one of the bandits was arrested while the rest of them escaped with bullet wounds.
The equally left there guns, a pump action and tow other locally made long guns along with many cartridges. They could not cart away the stolen items either.
The group of four had successfully robbed a family at Ijeje road, but their insatiable lust for money moved them to Happy Palace Hotel at Ikorodu. At the hotel they robbed all guests and staff of their valuable items and were about to smile home with their loot when the police raced to the scene.
The gun duel
The police immediately exchanged gunshot with the robbers, causing no little commotion in the area. In the end, three of the robbers escaped in a stolen Honda car with gun shot injuries while one of the policemen was killed.
During the stampede, the robbers abandoned their own car at the scene and escaped in a stolen one. One of the robbers, Bamidele was arrested.
The enraged police team had to move the corpse of their colleague and the robbery suspect to the station. The DPO of Ikorodu police station, CSP Alonge was enraged when the news of the killing of his staff was broken to him.
He said his men have got a tip off on the activities of these hoodlums at a hotel in Ikorodu at about 8pm that night which led to the mobilization of anti robbery team to the scene.
'We gave them a hot chase but luck ran out of them as their bus collided with one of our patrol bus which brought them to a stop. We however nabbed one of the robbers and all the stolen item where recovered."
Exhibits
Con firming the reports, police spokesman, DSP Bode Ojajuni said police recovered items like an English double-barrel gun, an English revolver pistol, Italian pump action, locally made single barrel cut to size and 71 round cartridges including their loot.
The suspect in police custody, who hails from Ogun State told Saturday Sun that he started as a smuggler based in Seme, in Badagry. But the gang leader recruited him now at large. He confessed that the group been responsible for the recent robberies in the area.
One of the victims told policemen the robbers disguised as policemen ostensibly looking for a robber whom they claimed had entered the building. 'But the lid was blown of their veil when we demanded for identity. Immediately, they brought out their arms slapped day light out of me. They promised to send us to meet our Lord Jesus if we do not surrender all we had. They took all but thank God with the aid of the police I have reclaimed some items," she said at the police station.