… Recover 2 AK47 Rifles, 5 Pump Action Guns, 6 Pistols, others, from Onueke Commercial Bank Robbers
By Deborah Hassan
365Daily – The Ebonyi State Police Command has intercepted 753 live ammunition of General-Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) enroute Umuahia, the Abia State capital.
The ammunition was concealed in a sac being transported in a commercial vehicle from Abakaliki, Ebonyi State to Umuahia, Abia State.
This was contained in a press statement issued by the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Police Force headquarters, CP Frank MBA, on Sunday, May 2, 2021.
Mba said comprehensive investigations aimed at apprehending all persons linked to the crime are ongoing.
He added that “the intelligence-driven covert operation, which led to the interception and recovery of the deadly ammunition, is part of efforts by the Force to identify and crack down on criminal networks and supply chains for weapons and ammunition in and around the country.”
In a related development, the Command arrested 3 suspects linked to a foiled bank robbery on the Onueke branch of a commercial bank in Ebonyi State which occurred in January, 2021.
The Force PPRO said the Police operatives, led by the Commissioner of Police, Ebonyi State Command, on 29th April, 2021, stormed the criminal hideout of suspects indicted by findings of an investigation into the attempted robbery located at Oriuzo village in Ezza North Local Government Area of the state.
He stated: “The suspects on sighting the Police squad, opened fire on them. The Police team engaged them gallantly and professionally. At the end, three (3) members of the gang including two (2) male and one (1) female met their waterloo following bullet injuries sustained during the exchange of gunfire. Other suspects fled in different directions.
“Two (2) Ak47 riffles, five (5) pump action guns, six (6) pistols, fifty (50) Ak47 ammunition, one hundred and twenty-six (126) cartridges, Jack knives, cutlasses, and a 40-page notebook containing inventories of ammunition purchased by the gang were recovered. A Honda Pilot Jeep with Reg No. ABJ 163 NJ used for the foiled bank robbery was also recovered by the Police Team.
“Unrelenting in their quest to apprehend the remaining suspects, the Police team traced the suspects to a shrine where the robbers usually go for mystical powers before embarking on their robbery operations. Two (2) of the suspects were eventually arrested from the supposedly safe haven -the shrine.
“Meanwhile, efforts are ongoing to arrest other fleeing members of the gang and their spiritual godfather – the chief priest of the shrine.
“The Inspector General of Police, Ag. IGP Usman Alkali Baba, psc (+), NPM, fdc, while commending the Commissioner of Police, Ebonyi State Police Command, CP Aliyu Garba and officers of the command, for excellently harnessing intelligence to nip the crimes in the bud, assured citizens of the renewed commitment of the Force to improving public safety and combating all forms of violent crimes across the land.”