Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta
Men of Ogun State police command in the early hours of Wednesday morning shot dead two members of an armed robbery syndicate who invaded “FASTLINK’’ electronic and phone warehouse at Ijebu-Ode.
The armed robbers were said to have been shot dead in an encounter with operatives of state police command, while one member of the group was apprehended alive.
According to statement from the Spokesman of the state police command, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi on Wednesday, the DPO Igbeba division, CSP Doga Najeem was said to have received distress call from vigilante leader in the area that a warehouse situated at Oyingbo area of Ijebu-ode had been invaded by daredevil robbers who were armed with dangerous weapons.
Upon this distress call, the CSP Doga Nojeem was said to have mobilized his patrol team in-conjunction with So-safe Corps, and moved to the scene.
On sighting the policemen, the robbers were allegedly said to have engaged them in a gun battle for about an hour, at the end of which two members of the gang were fatally shot and one arrested while others escaped in their standby vehicle with various degrees of gunshot injuries.
On interrogation, the arrested one who identified himself as Isiaka Yakubu ‘m’ 28yrs an indigene of Yauri in Zamfara State claimed that the group were eight in number and they came from Lagos State where they have been hiding for some days before coming to Ijebu-ode for the operation.
Recovered from them were one locally made gun, one iron cutter, two cutlasses, one iron chisel, as well as phones and electrical material worth N6million which they removed from the warehouse.
The Commissioner of police, CP Edward A. Ajogun who commended his men for their swift response to the distress call, has ordered the immediate transfer of the case to the state criminal investigation and intelligence department for discreet investigation.
He also directed a massive hunt for the fleeing members of the gang with the view of bringing them to justice.
Ajogun, while appealing to members of the public especially hospitals to report anybody seen with gunshot injury to the police, also warned criminals to stop testing the will-power of the Command, as determination and resilience of officers and men to decisively deal with all forms of criminality in the state remained unwavered.