Police kill three armed robbers on Lagos-Ibadan highway

Three members of an armed robbery gang were at the weekend shot dead by men of the Ogun State police command at Fidiwo, along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

The suspects met their waterloo on Saturday following a distress call received by policemen attached to Owode Egba Division, who informed them that a popular bush meat seller, Jumoke Ogunbade, who went to the area to meet her bush meat supplier, was being attacked.

According to a statement signed by the State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, based on the tip-off, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Owode Egba Division, CSP Sheu Alao, quickly led his anti-robbery team to the scene, where they engaged the hoodlums in a gun duel that lasted for about 30 minutes.

He noted that at the end of the encounter, the three syndicate members were gunned down, while others escaped into the nearby bush with gunshot wounds.

“Recovered from them are: one locally-made single barrel gun; one shot double-barrel gun; one single-barrel muzzle loading gun; one live cartridge; a wristwatch belonging to the victim of the attack and cash sum of N10,220.”

Oyeyemi added that the Commissioner of Police, CP Ahmed Iliyasu, who lauded his men for their gallant display and quick response to the distress call, has ordered for a manhunt of the fleeing members of the gang.

“He also appealed to members of the public especially hospitals, traditional healers and other health officials to report to the police if anybody with gunshot injuries is seen around their area,” Oyeyemi said.

Meanwhile, the police in Zamfara State said armed bandits have abducted seven people from Nahuche village of Bungudu Local Government.

The police said the villagers, including a former councillor, Bello Daniya, were kidnapped in the early hours of Sunday.

An eyewitness, Malam Sani Ibrahim, had earlier told newsmen that the bandits besieged the village in large numbers, fired guns into the air and ordered the villagers to show them the house of Bungudu local government area APC chairman, Alhaji Hamisu, a.k.a. Coordinator.

He said the abductors, however, found themselves in the former councillor’s house, who is a neighbour to the APC chairman, where they abducted him, four boys and two girls.

Ibrahim said the abductors later released one of the victims with a note demanding N100 million as ransom to release the remaining victims.

While confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Mohammed Shehu, said a combined team of security operatives were on the trail of the abductors.

He appealed to members of the public with useful information on the movement of criminals to report to relevant security agencies for prompt action.