Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
Seven armed robbers on Friday, met their waterloo while robbing commuters along Lafia/Makurdi road.
According to the Benue State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Catherine Anene, the dare devil armed robbers were operating at the same road when a team of police officers swiftly moved to the scene and met the hoodlums dressed in military camouflage and police uniforms.
Anene said the armed robbers had earlier reportedly attacked a police check point on 4/6/2020 on Lafia-Makurdi road that led to the death of Inspector Boniface Odeh and the loss of an AK47 rifle.
“A team of police officers were detailed to trail the armed robbers terrorising commuters on the road.
While on their trail, information was received on 12/6/2020 at about 0440hrs that armed robbers were operating at the same road.
“The team of police officers swiftly moved to the scene and met the hoodlums dressed in military camouflage and police uniforms. They engaged the police in a gun duel that lasted for about 20 minutes.
The PPRO said during the gun duel between the police and the armed robbers, seven of the armed robbers sustained various degrees of bullet wounds and were rushed to Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) where they eventually died.
The Police spokesperson, in a statement made available to newsmen on Friday evening disclosed that the corpses of the suspected armed robbers have been deposited at the morgue of BSUTH for autopsy.
She listed items recovered from them to included the missing AK47 rifle, one other AK47 rifle loaded with 21 live ammunition, one locally made pistol with two cartridges, two dane guns, four touch lights, four machetes, nine cell phones and assorted charms.
Anene added that the Commissioner of Police in charge of Benue, Mukaddas Garba has warned criminals to desist from their evil ways or face the full wrath of the law as the command will not leave any stone unturned in the fight against crime .