By Iduozee Paul, Benin
The Edo State Police Command has killed one armed robber who engaged the police in a gun battle.
After the police received a distress call from the area the criminals are operating.
The force announced the killing in a press release through the PPRO of the Command, DSP Chidi Nwabuzor, handed to journalists after parading fake soldiers in Benin city.
The DSP Nwabuzor said the fake soldiers used army uniforms to extort money from people.
He disclosed that some of the items recovered from them included Army camouflage uniforms and jack knives.
“On 03/02/2020, 1410hrs , the operatives of the Anti-Cultism Unit, acting on a tip-off, along PZ road, off Sapele road, Benin city , arrested four young men namely: Idoro Solomon, Ehiorobo Evans , Osariemen Agho, Solomon Hussaini and Ezeyi Kelech.
“All male, were seen gathering in the area, dressed in Army camouflage uniforms. When the police heard, it mobilized to the scene and arrested four of the suspects who confessed to have been terrorizing the locality,” the police stated.
The police also accused the fake army officers of impersonating, kidnapping, and extorting money from members of the public and promised to charge them to court.
The released further stated:
” On the 04/02/2020, at about 0430hrs, police patrol team led by the Divisional Police Officer, Okada Division, while acting on a distress call that hoodlums are operating along Benin-Lagos Express way between Fulani Junction and Bob Izua Market.
” When the police mobilized to the scene, when the hoodlums sighted the police, they engaged them in a gun duel and due to the superior fire power of the police, one of the armed robbers was gunned down, one arrested with gun injury , while another escaped with bullet wounds”.
Items recovered from the robbers include, one cut-to-size locally made single barrel gun, one long toy gun, one machete and two torchlights.
In an interview with one of the army, Ezeyi Kelechi, confessed that he is a fake soldier, that he usually impersonate with the uniform to extort money from people. He said his father is a retired army officer.
Ehiorobo Evans, denied being a fake soldier, but rather, an army officer on ‘Awo’ (Awo means absence without leave). He threatened to pursue the matter to a logical conclusion.
