Highway robbers injure travellers on Benin/Ore road

Daredevil armed robbers on Tuesday afternoon, robbed passengers along the Benin/Ore highway, in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, injuring many travellers during the attack.

According to an eyewitness, the incident occurred around 4 pm after the hoodlums who were armed to the teeth, used one of the seized vehicles to block the ever busy expressway.

He said the robbers, numbering about six shot sporadically into the air, stopping an 18 Seaters bus and a private car, dispossessing them of their belongings, while the passengers of the two vehicles sustained a various degree of injuries.

He said the drivers of the vehicles ran into a ditch and the passengers ran out of the bus, leaving the vehicle and their belongings on the bus.

The source said some policemen at a roadblock close to the scene of the incident ran into the bush, removing their uniforms to avoid being recognised by the armed robbers

He said all vehicles coming from Benin and heading toward Lagos or coming from Lagos and heading towards Benin or Akure were held for about an hour, causing gridlock on the ever busy road.

He said it took the intervention of the military men from the 32 artillery brigade from Okitipupa, to dislodge the armed robbers, who ran away from the scene of the incident.

However, he said no death was recorded but several passengers were seriously injured in the cause of running for safety during the robbery.

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The state Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO), Mr Femi Joseph, who confirmed the incident said the Divisional Crime Officer (DCO) and the policemen attached to Ore Division have moved in and dislodged the armed robbers.

Joseph said the armed robbers have been repelled, saying policemen were combing the bush in order to arrest the suspects.