From Jefferson Ibiwale, Benin
The Edo state police command says it has arrested members of a robbery gang responsible for the death of four policemen deployed from the Osun State for a special election duty in Anambra State.
It would be recalled that the policemen were ambushed by the gunmen on November 14 while reporting at their place of assignment.
The Edo State police commissioner, Foluso Adebanjo, told journalists in Benin on Tuesday that his men were accosted at the Benin bye-pass on the Benin/Lagos expressway by another gang of 20 armed robbers, who reportedly blocked the road to prevent the arrest of their colleagues.
In the shoot-out that ensued, one of the robbers was shot dead while a policeman sustained gunshot injury on his leg.
Other armed robbers reportedly escaped into the bush with bullet wounds.
One of the arrested armed robbery suspects, Muhammadu Umaru, 29, confessed that he had taken part in robbery cases in Enugu state three times, receiving N5,000, N6,000 and N30, 000 each time.
Umaru, who further disclosed that he had joined a new robbery gang in the Adumawa area of Benin City, however denied being part of the gang that killed the policemen.
“I don’t know who killed police. We don’t have real guns but carved guns which we use to block road,” he said.
In another encounter on the Benin/Auchi road, Adebanjo said three members of a robbery gang who had laid siege to the road, were gunned down in a shoot-out with his men.
In all, 43 suspects were paraded for various kind of offences ranging from armed robbery, unlawful possession of fire arms and cannabis, cultism, conspiracy and fraud, car snatching, murder ad rape.
