2 suspected robbers killed, one arrested by police in Abia

AS Christians were celebrating Easter on Sunday, some armed robbers who decided to spend the day to terrorise residents of Aba, Abia State, met their Waterloo, as policemen in Abia State Police Command felled two, while one was arrested.

Disclosing this to Metro in a statement signed by the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Geoffrey Ogbona, the Commissioner of Police, Leye Oyebade, said that the command’s control room in Aba received a distress call at about 6.45a.m that one Dan Dollars Petrol Filling Station at Ovom in Ogbor-hill Area, Aba was invaded by armed robbers who were escaping through Eziukwu road by Railway Aba after an operation.

Oyebade said that in response, patrol teams attached to Ndiegoro Division and Central Police Station, Aba, led by Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ndiegoro and the Commander of the newly- inaugurated Tactical Response Squad (TRS) of the command swung into action and intercepted the hoodlums.

He stated further that the hoodlums started shooting when they sighted the patrol teams, and in the ensuing gun battle, two of them were shot dead.

One of the suspected armed robbers, who was identified as Ugochukwu Emeka Uche, was also reported arrested.

The police commissioner further disclosed in the statement that a Toyota 4Runner Sport Utility Vehicle, with registration number DR 413 ENU and a Toyota Corolla car with registration number EPE 568 EM, snatched from one David Gobble of Ogbor-Hill, Aba, were recovered.

He listed other recovered items to include three locally-made shotguns, live and expended cartridges, nine mobile phones, a wristwatch, a national identity card bearing Uzoefuna Ifechi Kingsley, two wedding rings (identified) and a sum of N65,020.

Oyebade, who promised to make the state hot for criminals, said that investigation had commenced on the activities of the hoodlums, adding that efforts were also being made to arrest the fleeing members of the gang.