One wounded in airforce, robbers’ shoot-out

Posted by admin Armed Forces, Headlines Thursday, December 15th, 2011

By EVELYN USMAN
ABEOKUTA—Nigerian Air Force personnel from Logistics Command, Ikeja, Lagos, yesterday, engaged a 12-man robbery gang operating on Ota/Idiriko Road, Ogun State, in a shoot-out and foiled the gang’s attempt to snatch vehicles.

The bandits reportedly stormed the ever-busy road in two unmarked vehicles which they used to block the road.

Thereafter, they dispossessed their victims who were trapped in the resultant traffic of valuables and cash.

Traders going to Idiroko border were dispossessed of several hundreds of thousands of naira in the attack that lasted over two hours.

One of the motorists was shot by the robbers after he attempted to manoeuvre his way out of the traffic.

Security personnel, who were on their way to work, reportedly pulled off their uniforms when they got wind of the operation, apparently to avoid being identified and attacked by the bandits.

The entire area was thrown into pandemonium as some air force personnel, who were on their way to the range classification exercise at Ajilete, Owode, ran into the rampaging robbers, and engaged them in a fierce shoot-out.

But the superior fire power of the personnel forced the bandits to flee the scene, abandoning about six vehicles earlier snatched from their owners.

Eyewitnesses account said the injured man was given first aid treatment by the airforce personnel who handed him over to a team of policemen that later arrived the scene.

Spokesman for the logistics command, Wing Commander Famuyiwa Ayodele, confirmed the incident, but could not give further details.

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