A gang of armed robbers attacked the Ikere-Ekiti divisional police station , killed two police officers and three other
civilians, the robbers then proceeded to rob a new generation bank in Ikere
Ekiti.
According to eyewitnesses, the robbers went straight into Mr. David Onu Itumah,
62, the Divisional Crime Officer’s (DCO) office as if they had
planned to make him their target. “He didn’t fall to the robbers’ bullets. They
shot him but that didn’t work on him. He didn’t have his rifle when they
stormed his office, he ran into a corner of his office and locked himself in so that he
could have enough time to prepare for them, but the robbers were too many for
him, over five of them must have broken into his office to grab him. They lifted his feet off
the ground and shot him. That was when the bullet penetrated into his body and
finished him”, an eyewitness said.
The anonymous eyewitness said further that the deceased had just three
months to retire from the police force having put in almost 35 years into the
service.
“The man was ill-fated. He just had three months to retire from the police,
it was after they finished him and succeeded in sending off every other officer
that they went for the police armoury in the office and emptied it”, the eyewitness said.
Another, who also craved anonymity, spoke about the female police
sergeant that was killed while she was making effort to scale the fence of the
police command. He said: “The female police officer that was killed was
popularly known as Iya Joel by everyone in this area. We know her as a very
nice woman, very friendly and good to all.”
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Taiwo Lakanu has
assured that he would hunt down and bring to justice the gunmen that attacked
the police station and the bank that
day.
Narrating the reports he got about the robbery
incident, the CP’s spokesman, ASP Victor Babayemi, said: “I can confirm that
there was a simultaneous attack on the police station and the bank office by a group of armed robbers numbering
between 35 and 40, according to eyewitnesses. It was a spontaneous attack and
our men responded and there was gun exchange, some of the robbers were fatally
shot regrettably and unfortunately, we lost two of our men, a female sergeant
and an officer whose identities we don’t want to disclose now because we
haven’t formally informed their families.
“The two police personnel didn’t die immediately, they were rushed to
the hospital but they died in the hospital. Also, a female corps member who was
using the ATM in the bank was also shot dead. Our armoury was not attacked, it
is intact.
“Although, the robbers later escaped into the bush, some of them were
fatally shot and adequate personnel have been mobilized to be on their trail as
we speak.”
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