The Police Command in Benue has said it has killed two suspected robbers who were behind an attack on five vehicles in Otukpo Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.
SP Sewuese Anene, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the command, disclosed this in a statement obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Makurdi.
He explained that a group of robbers in a joint operation on Friday attacked branches of five different banks in Otukpo town.
The PPRO listed the banks involved as Access Bank, First Bank, Zenith Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) and Stanbic IBTC Bank.
He said men of the command engaged the suspects in a gun battle along the Otukpo-Taraku road, adding that they neutralized two of the suspects in the process.
Anne added that the other members of the gang abandoned their vehicles and ran into the forest.
“Otukpo Police Commissioner, CSP John Adikwu and his team in the area arrested the suspected robbers at gunpoint but could not stop them from attacking the banks .
“Additional police teams along with other security agencies have been deployed to Otukpo to help secure the area and prevent these robbers from escaping.
“The bandits were later arrested on Otukpo-Taraku road by our men and put them at gunpoint.
“Two of the robbers were killed in the process, but the other members of the group abandoned their vehicles and escaped into the forest.
“We’re still going after them,” he said.
Anene confirmed that the criminals killed four policemen during the robbery.
“Our DPO in Otukpo who sustained a gunshot wound to his stomach and three other police officers were declared dead at the hospital.
“Others who sustained injuries during the operation are currently being treated in hospital.
“The investigation is continuing to uncover all those involved in the crime,” he said.
NAN reports that the suspects carried out their acts of violence inside the banks for about two hours without fail.
[GNN]
