Ondo State Police Command, on Monday paraded three more suspected armed robbers involved in the killing of over 20 residents of Owo local government area of the State.
The robbers attacked four banks located in the ancient community, penultimate Thursday.
The bandits were among 91 suspected criminals
paraded by the State Commissioner of Police, Isaac Eke, at the state police headquarters, Akure, the state
capital.
Eke disclosed that the suspected armed robbers were part of those who attacked four banks in Owo, killed seven policemen, two bank officials and over 13 other members of the public.
He disclosed that the suspects were arrested while trying to escape by a combined team of policemen and military personnel drawn from Ondo and Edo.
The Police Commissioner disclosed that “a distress call was received that a gang of robbers numbering about 50
were simultaneously operating in both A and B division Police
stations in Owo and after that, they attacked four banks.
“The armed robbers came in several vehicles, including SUVS and shot sporadically, killing some policemen and civilians in the process. Policemen led by Deputy Commission Operations put up a spirited counter attack leading to the death of seven of the armed robbers”.
According to him, 12, 000 round of ammunitions, six assault rifles, 17 AK rifles, three riot gunners, one revolver pistol, one chief revolver pistol, eleven dynamites and 142 magazines were recovered from them.
Also recovered from the armed robbers were two sub-machine guns, six Beretta rifles, two scorpion guns, three large rifles, three Dane guns, Tarakov rifle and three pump action guns.
The police boss said the arms were parts of the ones carted away from Ikare-Akoko and Owo police stations when the
daredevil armed robbers invaded the towns last year and penultimate Thursday.
Eke added that N9.3million cash, pair of police uniforms, 33 canister of tear gas, police steel helmets and 13 vehicles used for the operation were recovered from the hoodlums.
The police commissioner also paraded seven suspected pirates, who were arrested at Ajapa in Ese Odo Local
Government Area of the state.
The suspected pirates, Eke said, were arrested
with the help of Gallery Security Service and military men, adding that 16 of the unrepentant militants were killed in a gun battle with the security personnel last week.
According to him, heavily armed hoodlums in military uniforms suspected to have been commanded by one General Ibori, an unrepentant militant, had invaded and attacked Gallery Security base, located at Akanaku Community with five speed
boats.
He said 16 of the pirates were killed during a gun battle while seven including Ikes Omosebi, Akpos Atunwase, Uyeweri
Zacchaeus, Augustine Goto, Ekuiwasemi Loghoga, Worifaifa Simon and John Omonipere were arrested with rifles of different categories.
Eke added that 76 suspected cultists and one kidnap suspect were arrested within the last one week in order to
keep the state free of criminal elements.