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From Emmanuel Adeyemi Lokoja
Following the Tuesday robbery attacks on three banks in Egbe and Odo-Ere in yagba west local government area of Kogi State, police and irates youths engaged in fierce clash leaving one police man dead , two youths killed while the Odo ere police station was set ablaze.
According to an eye witness account, the police in conjunction with the local hunters and vigilante were said to have arrested some of the gang members that participated in the Tuesday bank robbery who were said to be stuck somewhere in the forest with their loots
The accountt said ,the youths fearing that the police may later be compromised over the issue demanded for an instant justice which the police authority in the area rebuffed insisting that the law must take its course.
The resistance of the police was said to have infuriated the youths who were said to have mobilised themselves to attack the police station with the aim of lynching the suspects which led to the killing of two youths and a police officer with several people sustaining injuries.
But confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relation Officer, William Aya, claimed that the two civilians died at the hospital after receiving beating from the mob.
Anya said: “It would be recalled that, on Tuesday some suspected armed robbers attacked a bank at Odo-Ere and another at Egbe all in Yagba West Local Government.
“Consequently, the Police launched a manhunt for the suspects — in synergy with other security agencies, hunters and vigilantes — to the hills where they escaped to.
“Aerial surveillance by the helicopter along with the Special Forces at the Oke-Ere hills, where the hoodlums were stucked, trapped two of the suspects and they were arrested and taken to Odo-Ere Division.
“The irate mob went to the station, demanding that the two suspects be given to them to lynch.
“All efforts by the Police to placate the mob prove abortive, and they became violent.
“In the process they lynched one Inspector Bamisaye Gbenga and injured PC Sunday Alechenu.
“In the efforts to disperse the mob, two persons, a male and a female, were maimed. Both died in the hospital while receiving treatment.
“Meanwhile, part of the station was set ablaze by the mob.
“The Commissioner of Police, while condemning the act of lawlessness perpetrated by the youths of Ode-Ere, calls on them to restrain from taking the law into their hands.
“While assuring the public that at the conclusion of investigation, the suspects will be arraigned in court to face justice.” he added
It will be recalled that the armed robbers, on Tuesday, had attacked the three banks in a coordinated attacks, killing two of the security personnel, while two other civilians were felled by stray bullets.
