A suspected armed robber identified as “Andrew Billions” was killed during a gun duel with the police along Warri-Sapele road in Delta state.
Spokesperson of the State Police Command, DSP Bright Edafe, who disclosed this in a statement on Friday, September 17, said the deceased is a member of the dreaded ‘Imomotimi’ group, a dare-devil robbery gang that has been on the command wanted list.
Edafe said the command got information that three-man robbery gang had robbed a victim. The DPO Warri Division mobilised his team to the scene. Upon sighting the police, the robbers engaged them in a gun battle.
“On 16/09/2021 at about 1320 hrs The DPO ‘A’ Division Warri CSP T.Y Mahmud led the Divisional rapid respond team on observation/visibility patrol along Warri Sapele road by warri club, information got to the DPO that a three man armed robbery gang robbed an unknown victim and that they are operating in a black Toyota corolla car with registration number RBC 218 BL grey inn color, ” Edafe stated.
“The team extended their patrol further with a view to arresting the gang. The armed robbers on sighting the police fired at the men and during the gun duel, one of the armed robbers sustained serious gun shot injury while two others escaped with bullet wound
“The injured suspect was rushed to the hospital where he gave up the ghost while receiving treatment. The suspect before he died gave his name as Andrew and admitted to be a member of the dreaded imomotimi group, a dare devil gang that has been on command wanted list. One locally made pistol loaded with a life cartridge , one hundred and thirty thousand naira, one small nokia phone and the above stated Toyota corolla were recovered.
The PPRO said one locally made double barrel gun and three live cartridges were recovered from a notorious cult suspect when police operatives raided black spots in Koko Oghara and Sapele.
“On 13/09/2021 between 0025hrs and 0430hrs raider operatives raided black spots in Koko Oghara and some areas in Sapele that are known to be hide out for some notorious cult related activities. During the raid, one suspected cultist Rukevwe Afakpor ‘m’ 29yrs old was arrested and one (1) locally made double barrel gun and three (3) live cartridges were recovered from him,” the statement say.
“On 15/09/2021 at about 0100hrs Isiokolo Divisional patrol team in conjunction with vigilante while on stop and search along Okpara – Okurekpo road Isiokolo flagged down a lady’s motor cycle with three (3) passengers
“Upon reasonable suspicion they were searched and during the search, one cut-to- size locally made double barrel gun was recovered from one of the passengers named oghenenyerhovwo solomon ‘m’ of uruegbe street okpara. He was promptly arrested and the motorcycle impounded while the two (2) others escaped into the bush. Efforts to arrest the two suspects at large are being intensified.”