By MIKE OSAROGIAGBON
An unidentified armed robbery suspect, was gunned down by the police during a dawn robbery operation inside a Pentecostal church in Benin City, the state capital on Wednesday.
AK-47 rifle, one black Honda Pilot Jeep marked EDO BEN-360-PJ, 26 assorted telephone handsets, cash sum of N46, 060.00 two cutlasses, a jack knife, one fez cap and a military camouflage shot were recovered from the dead suspect.
The recovered items were paraded along with his corpse before journalists at the state police command headquarters in Benin City, on Wednesday.
A ribbon-like red clothe suspected to be charms was tired round the waist of the dead suspect. The state commissioner of police, CP Johnson Kokumo who briefed journalists during the parade said the suspect met his Waterloo when he led other members of his gang to rob worshippers in the church about 4:00a.m, yesterday.
He stated that the rampaging robbers commenced their criminal activities about 9:30pm on Tuesday when they robbed a bank customer who had gone to withdraw money for his sick father’s medical bills, and dispossessed him of his black Honda pilot Jeep which, thereafter, served as their operational vehicle.
“The criminal activities led them to the church along Upper Mission extension about 4:00 this morning. On arrival at the church they met the congregation who just closed from a night vigil.
“The robbers switched off the church generator and dispossessed the worshipers of their personal effects at gunpoint.
“Luck ran against them when information got to the police who moved in and engaged them in a gun duel. This (the dead suspect) who of course was a member of the armed robbers was gunned down.
“Others took to flight, we recovered their arms and loots. We are on the trail of the fleeing gang members”. CP Kokumo stated.
One Destiny Osawe, 17 said to have been arrested for alleged robbery in the New Benin area was paraded along with the dead robber. He however denied involvement in the church robbery.
Giving account of his encounter with the robbers, the bank customer Mr Omoruyi Kelvin said he had gone to withdraw the sum of N95,000.00 at his bank ATM on Akpakpava road, Benin City when a four-man armed gang appeared from the blues and ordered him into his black Honda pilot Jeep.
Mr Omoruyi Kelvin explained further that as he was being driven around, the dead robber, armed with AK-47 rifle ransacked fruitlessly for his ATM card as he was eventually dropped off at Upper Mission extension by the river.
He went to a nearby police station and reported the incident.
Also, a member of the church Deacon Charles Uwakhoye who narrated his ordeal during the church robbery, thanked the police for coming to rescue the congregation.
The state police boss however warned criminals to steer clear of Edo state or be prepared to face the full wrath of the law.
“We have said it severally, let me use this opportunity to say it again, Edo State is not a place for criminals to hibernate.
“Edo State cannot and will not be a haven for criminals again. Those planing to make incursions from neighbouring states should have a rethink that the police in Edo State have not gone to sleep”. CP Kokumo warned.
He however assured that proactive measures have been put in place to curtail criminal activities in the state.
