By Lucky Isibor,
Officers of the Edo State Police Command in the early hours of Tuesday, 4th February, foiled a robbery incident along the Benin-Lagos expressway, killing one of the armed robbers in the encounter.
The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO of the command, DSP Chidi Nwanbuzor who disclosed this to news men at the state police headquarters stated that one of the robbers was arrested with gun injury while others escaped with bullet wounds.
According to DSP Nwabuzor, “today 04/02/2020, at about 0430hrs, Police patrol team led by the Divisional Police Officer, Okada Division while acting on a distress call that hoodlums were operating along Benin-Lagos Expressway between Fulani Junction and Bob Izua Market, mobilized to the scene. The hoodlums on sighting the Police engaged them in a gun duel and due to the superior fire power of the police, one of the armed robbers was gunned down, one arrested with gun injuries while another escaped with bullet wounds.”
In a related development, the command also arrested five persons allegedly parading themselves as men of the Nigerian Army in the state.
It was gathered that the suspects were arrested by the Anti-Cultism unit of the state command.
Parading the suspects in Benin, the state’s Police spokesperson, Chidi Nwabuzor, said the suspects were arrested in Army camouflage uniforms while posing as serving officers.
He gave the names of the suspects as Ehiorobo Evans (28); Osariemen Agho (25); Solomon Hussaini (28); Idoro Solomon and Ezeyi Kelechi.
He said the fake Army officers were arrested following a tip-off from members of the public.
He said the operatives of Anti-Cultism Unit acting on a tip-off along PZ road, off Sapele road, Benin, arrested the suspects, who were dressed in Army camouflage uniforms.
According to him, the Police mobilised to the scene and arrested five of the suspects who confessed to being fake Army officers.
Nwanbuzor said the suspects have also confessed to have been terrorising the areas and other environs in the state.
He however listed items recovered from the suspects to include Army camouflage uniforms and Jack knives.
Speaking with journalists, one of the accused, Evans Ehiorobo said he is an Army officer but has been on “Away Without Leave,” AWOL for eight months.
“I am a soldier from 2 Division, Ordinance Unit, Nigerian Army. I served four months in the Nigerian Army before I went on AWOL.
“I was on mufti; it was my phone that they found my picture that I am a soldier too and that was how I was arrested,” he narrated.
