In what seemed to be a swift response to tackling worsening insecurity in Edo State, Nigeria, the Police at the weekend swooped on criminals and caught four Point Of Sale (POS) payment outlets armed robbers and thirty other suspected hardened bandits.
A summary of suspects arrested by the Police reveals that twenty of them were nabbed for armed robbery, four for suspected kidnapping, seven for cultism and three for escape from lawful custody.
Exhibits recovered from the hoodlums include one AK-47 rifle with breach No. 5571, one English Revolver Pistol, nine locally made pistols and three live cartridges.
Two expended Cartridges, one battle Axe, four Vehicles, nineteen exotic phones, one police belt, one pair of police inspector Insignia, one army camouflage cap and one POS terminal were also recovered from the armed bandits.
The police also listed hundreds of sim cards of different networks, one red daylong motorcycle with registration number UBJ-325-VS, a cash amount of eight thousand, seven hundred and ninety naira as well as assorted ATM Cards of different banks as recovered from the apprehended hardened criminal suspects.
Edo State Police Commissioner, Mr. Babatunde Johnson Kokumon, who paraded the suspects said at about twelve O’clock on November 17, 2020, operatives on township patrol along Lagos Street in conjunction with some local vigilantes arrested five suspected armed robbers namely; Kelvin Odinje, Emmanuel Okafor ‘m’, Eric Ojowe , Gbenga Raymond and Daniel Ibanga.
Mr. Kokumon said when the hoodlums were nabbed and searched, four assorted laptops, five assorted handsets and one G-Tab belonging to Michael Stephen Bakare Adewale, Bakare Adewale and Jennifer Osayande were recovered.
The Police Commissioner said they intensified their patrol and on the twentieth of the same month one Obinna Nwigbo of no fixed address who was hired by Sunny Oboyo ‘m’ to convey him to an agreed location was arrested for allegedly robbing the said Sunny Oboyo ‘m’ of the sum of one million Naira, in cash, as well as a red daylong motorcycle with Reg. No. UBJ-325-VS.
He said on the twenty first of November, this year, at about zero one five hours, two suspected armed robbers namely Ehis Ahunmwan and Stanley Obiora were caught red-handed by the Police and vigilante group Members along general hospital road, off Nomayo Street, Upper Sakponba road, Benin City with one locally made single barrel gun and a live cartridge.
The Police Commissioner said one suspected armed robber, Mr. Stanley Aghede was arrested with a toy gun by the Police along the Bye-Pass in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of the State on the twenty second of November this year.
He said after a search on him a cash sum of eight thousand, seven hundred and nine hundred naira, eight assorted phones, three wristwatches, one trailer shock observer, sets of brake pads were recovered from him.
Kokumon said on November 24, 2020, six armed robbery suspects including Samuel Nweshi, Kingsley Efe, Frank Roland, Chidera Joel, Godstime Johnbull, and Uyi Osagie, were arrested at Unueru Street, off Sakponba Road, Benin City.
He said on interrogation they all confessed being members of an armed robbery gang terrorizing Upper Sakponba axis of the state capital and environs adding that charges against them are still being thoroughly investigated before taking the suspected hoodlums before a court of competent jurisdiction.
The Police Commissioner listed items recovered from the suspected armed robbers as a locally made pistol, a Lexus Saloon Car, three plasma television Sets, two standing fans, two wolfer Speakers, a JVC home theatre Machine and one HP lap top.
Others included a Senwel Generator, sim cards of different networks, some quantity of weed suspected to be Indian Hemp, four female hand bags, six Nokia Phones, two pieces of wrappers a police belt of an inspector rank and an Army Camouflage cap.
The Police Commissioner announced that four suspected armed robbers namely Ejike Nwoke Michael, Courage Osaboyan, Pascal Udochuwu and Effiong Sunday were arrested on November 25, 2020.
He added that an English revolver pistol, five locally made guns, two expended cartridges and a VGN cap, a Toyota Camry Saloon Car with Reg. No. BEN-355-HK and another Toyota Corolla Saloon Car with Reg. No. LSD-176-FB as well as two booklets of receipt were recovered from them.
On November 26, he stated, one suspected cultist cum armed robber namely, Edobor Lucky was also arrested by operatives of Edo State Command at Ekiadolor area with one locally made gun and two live cartridges.
He said “On 28/11/2020 at about 1340hrs, operatives from Anti-Cultism Unit acting on distress call received from residents of Ugbiyoko along Ekewan Road, Benin City about the activities of hoodlums in the area, recovered one AK-47 rifle with breach No. 5571 and an unregistered Toyota Camry Saloon Car after a gun duel. The robbers had earlier snatched the vehicle from one Andrew Taiwo ‘m’ at Siluko road, Benin City”
The state Police Chief said in addition to the haul of suspected criminals mentioned, his command also caught four suspected kidnappers, including Waibowei Edoivebi, Godwin Pererich, Samual Edosodion and Friday Osege .
He said they were arrested by officers of the Nigerian Army and handed over to the Command, noting that the case is still under investigation while they would be charged to court upon completion of investigation.
According to Kokumon, seven suspected cultists namely, Pius Ogbeide, Sunday Imonis, Kelvin Obiohun, Osayamen Agho, Jeremiah Udo, Osaretin Igbinosun, and Nicholas Obasuyi were arrested at different locations in the state for engaging in disturbance of public peace, vandalism and cult-related activities.
“The following items were recovered from them “one locally made gun, a POS Terminal an assorted SIM cards of different Networks, several ATM cards of different Banks , a bunch of keys and two live cartridges”.
The Police Commissioner warned those criminal elements planning incursion into Edo State to steer clear from the state, noting that the Command is fully prepared to wage war against criminality.
“The criminal elements resident in the Edo State will not know peace while those planning incursion from contiguous states are warned to steer clear as the Police Command is fully prepared to wage war against them”.
He said three hardened criminals namely Osamuyi Omoregbe , Raymond Aimua and Omon Ayo, remanded at the two custodial centres in Benin, but escaped during the #EndSARS protest have been rearrested for committing yet other crimes.
Kokumon observed that “as we approach the yuletide season, the Police will not rest on its oars until all the arms and ammunition carted away by the hoodlums, aftermath of EndSARS protest are recovered and escapees from Benin and Oko Custodial Centres rearrested.”
Meanwhile one of the POS robbery suspects, Ogbaide Pius, 20, confessed to the crime, saying “we specialize in robbing POS operators.”
He disclosed that a young man whom he said has traveled to Ghana sold them a gun which they used in robbing POS operators in Benin, but luck ran out of them when they were about to share proceeds among themselves in a hotel where they were rounded up by the police.
Another suspect, Effiong Sunday, 21, confessed that he and other 3 persons went to rob at Upper Sokponba and they were arrested by local vigilantes after killing the young man that led them to the place.
He said he used AK-47 riffle he stole at Oba market police station during the EndSARS protest to rob and was arrested alongside other three persons.
