DPO, 3 cops, pastor, 5 robbers killed in Delta bank robbery

Posted by admin Latest Politics Friday, May 25th, 2012

y: PAUL OSUYI, Asaba

Date:

Tue, 05/15/2012 – 15:05

There was pandemonium yesterday in the sleepy town of Ibusa, Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State during a bank robbery that left no fewer than 10 persons dead. Among the dead were four policemen including a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) from Abraka, according to the Public Relations Officer of the state police command, DSP Charles Muka, who also confirmed the death of five members of the robbery gang.

As at press time, Muka said some arms had been recovered from the fleeing robbers, adding that the police had intensified efforts to track them down even as it could not be ascertained if the fleeing robbers made away with their loot from the banks. Muka, who spoke on phone, was on the entourage of the state Commissioner of Police, Ikechukwu Aduba to Warri on an official assignment involving the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan. Two of the dead robbers were burnt by angry mob that was said to have disarmed the hoodlums who were seemingly confused about their exit route from the town after looting two banks. A man, simply identified as pastor, was killed during a raid on a branch of an old generation bank after the robbers were said to have raided a branch of a new generation bank in the area. But unconfirmed report had it that the fleeing robbers killed six policemen on the Benin-Asaba-Onitsha Expressway. During the raid on the old generation bank in Ibusa, the police were said to have mobilized from Ogwushi-Uku and blocked the major exits of Ibusa with Armoured tanks. They were said to have laid ambush for the robbers and confined them within Ibusa where there was exchange of gunfire.

An eyewitness told Daily Sun that the robbers, numbering eight, stormed Ibusa town in a red Toyota Camry and a bus and first raided the new generation bank before invading the old generation bank in a commando style. “My brother, I was coming to work this morning when I ran into the operation of the robbers. They had earlier operated in another bank. But it was at this very bank that somebody, I think they call him pastor was killed. I was almost caught in the crossfire. “It was also in my presence that one of the robbers was killed by the people. The suspect was in the midst of several people and was shooting into the air while looking for escape route. But he ran out of bullet and the people cashed-in on that to attack him.

They hit an iron rod on his head and he fell down before the people set him ablaze. “Another member of the robbery gang was also burnt by the mob although I can’t tell how he was killed,” the eyewitness stated. Another eyewitness described the scene of the robbery and the exchange of gunfire at Ibusa as one of the scenes in an American epic movie. “In fact, this place was turned into a war zone of some sort as the robbers exchanged fire for fire with policemen. I have never seen this kind of situation in real life before. But I must commend the police for rising to the occasion. The police blocked all the exit routes and confined the robbers within the town where the exchange took place. We were practically picking bullets from the ground,” he narrated.

The robbery incident came just about five day after CP Ikechukwu Aduba paraded a dare-devil robbery gang believed to be terrorizing Warri and its environs. The murderous robbery gang were said to have been responsible for series of looting, maiming and killing in the oil-rich city.

-Sunwp_posts