A team of police operatives from the Warri Area Command of the Nigeria Police has nabbed three suspects at Ometa in the heart of Warri, Delta State.
The trio were believed to have masterminded the snatching of a Toyota Camry car with registration number Lagos F2349EKY belonging to one Chima Peter Chukwemeka at Orerokpe in Okpe Local Government Area of the state some time in 2016.
TribuneOnline gathered that the suspects had also used the car to carry out other robbery and kidnap operations.
But luck ran out of the robbery suspects last Wednesday while they were enjoying themselves at a social function at Ometa in the heart of Warri.
The owner of the car, who, incidentally, was at the function, raised the alarm after he had identified his car which still had its army-green colour and plate number intact.
Acting swiftly on the alarm raised by the owner of the car, police operatives from B’Division swooped on the trio and arrested them for onward transfer to B’Division.
TribuneOnline, however, gathered that one of the suspects, Akporido Simi, 29, was shot in the thigh while attempting to escape when he was being led to drop his confessional statement.
The suspect reportedly died after all efforts were exerted to rescue him at an undisclosed hospital where the police took him to for medical attention in Warri.
District Police Officer (DPO) of B-Division, Nigeria Police, Mr Eyo Aniesete, declined making comments on the arrest and death of one of the suspects.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Andrew Aniamaka, who confirmed the incident, said swift efforts made by the police to save the life of Akporido were futile as he died at the hospital.
“The other two are still in our custody; if the other one didn’t attempt to escape, he wouldn’t have been shot and yet we made attempt to save his life,” he reiterated.