Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, Delta State Police Command, have maimed to death a fleeing armed robbery suspect after arrest.
The incident occurred on Friday May 31 at restive Ekpan in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria.
The image-maker of the state’s Police Command, Bright Edafe, said the suspect was with his gang in a tricycle attempting to rob a car unknown to them that the occupants were undercover policemen.
“On 31/05/2024 at about 2140hrs, operatives of Ekpan Divisional undercover surveillance patrol team, while on routine patrol along Army Barracks Link Road, off Refinery Road, Ekpan, were double-crossed by a tricycle with three occupants in their usual style of robbing innocent citizens, but on noticing they were policemen, the hoodlums took to their heels, and were given a hot chase during which one of the suspects was arrested with a black bag, one cut-to-size Double Barrel Gun with two live cartridges in the bag.
“Upon interrogation, the suspect stated that the two other suspects who escaped were his gang members, and they usually double-crossed their victims, robbed them, and sometimes kidnapped them.
Arms and ammunition recovered
“Following his confession, the suspect was taken to their hideout along NNPC Link Road, he jumped into the bridge in an attempt to escape and was maimed by the police operatives, the suspect was taken to Ekpan General Hospital for medication, but was confirmed dead by the doctor on duty,” he noted.
According to him, efforts are on to arrest other fleeing members of the gang.
In another development, Edafe, a superintendent of police, said a robbery suspect terrorizing the Okpanam area of Asaba, the state capital, has been apprehended.
“On 2/6/24 at about 2315hrs, the DPO Okpanam Division received a distress call that some young men, numbering seven, came with two motorcycles and robbed one young man (name withheld).
“The DPO led operatives to the scene where the suspects on sighting the DPO and his men took to their heels.
“Six of the suspects escaped while one of them, identified as Emeka Okafor (m), was arrested and the motorcycle was recovered.
“Manhunt for the fleeing suspects is ongoing,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, men and officers of the command have admonished men and officers of the command by CP Olufemi Abaniwonda to emulate the swift response of DPO Okpanam during emergencies.
Edafe quoted CP Abaniwonda as saying that the recent swift response time of the police in distress situation was sequel to complaints by residents in the metropolis on the activities of armed robbers which led to the deployment of “tactical teams to complement the efforts of the Divisional Police Officers in Asaba metropolis with the various tactical commanders leading the operations from 1800 hours to 0600hours.”
According to him, “these deployments have been helping in checkmating the activities of these hoodlums, and some of them have been arrested and charged to court while others are still being hunted.”
