Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta
Men of Ogun state police command over the weekend nabbed two armed robbery suspects, Solomon Aghofure aged 30 and 37 years old Emmanuel Matthew while operating at Shagamu interchange area of Lagos/Ibadan expressway.
Solomon, an indigene of Delta State and Emmanuel from Abia State were arrested when the police patrol team of Sagamu division was on routine patrol of the expressway at about 1:30 am early morning of Saturday, February 27, 2021.
According to statement from the Force Spokesman in the state, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, the suspects and their gang who had already positioned themselves at the interchange in readiness to attack the commuters plying the road were said to have opened fire on the passing patrol team led by the DPO, CSP Okiki Agunbiade.
The police team was said to have engaged the robbers in shoot out at the end of which one of the robbers sustained gunshot injuries and was subsequently apprehended.
Other members of the gang were said to have escaped into the bush abandoning their operational vehicle. The bush was thoroughly combed from where the other suspect was also arrested. A police corporal attached to the team also sustained gunshot injuries on his leg and was rushed to hospital for treatment.
During interrogation, the suspects were said to have informed the police that they were five in number in their gang. They gave the names of other fleeing colleagues as Uche a.k.a Two million, Arinze and Uzor. They further revealed that the three escaped members of the gang are ex-convicts who had served various jail terms in okitipupa Ondo state and Sagamu in Ogun state.
They were said to have formed their robbery gang after their prison term and then recruited the two of them already arrested by the police for their criminal activities.
Meanwhile the Commissioner of Police, CP Edward Awolowo Ajogun who praised the gallantry of his men has ordered the immediate transfer of the suspects to the state criminal investigation and intelligence department for discreet investigation.
The CP also directed that the escaped members of the gang must be hunted for and brought to justice. Ajogun has therefore appealed to members of the public especially hospitals to quickly inform the police if anyone with gunshot injury is seen in their vicinity.