Four bandits suspected to have robbed a petrol filling station in Ukana Ikot Ntuen, Essien Udim local government area of Akwa Ibom State, close to the residence of Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, have been killed by men of Nigerian Police Force.
Though DSP Odiko MacDon, Akwa Ibom Police Public and Relations Officer admitted that the six robbery suspects on motor cycles on Tuesday, August 21, at 7.20 p.m, visited the petrol filling station and dispossessed some customers and attendants of some valuables and money before they were repelled by the policemen on duty, Anietie Ekong, media aide to the Senator disputed that the bandits shot sporadically into the residence of his boss.
Addressing the press at the state Police headquarters, Ikot Akpan Abia in Uyo on Friday, August 24, Adeyemi Ogunjemilusi, Akwa Ibom Police Commissioner, said on August 23, 2018, at about 5 p.m. five notorious robbery suspects, led by Kingsley Peter, a.k.a “Morale,” the gang leader, using three motorcycles robbed some persons along Aba road by Ikot Osurua before proceeding to a banking area along the same road to dispossess ATM customers and shop owners.
Ogunjemilusi said ‘’My men of Ikot Ekpene Division, led by the Divisional Police Officer, SP Benjamin Achegbani, trailed and engaged the hoodlums in a fierce shoot-out, killed four of the robbery suspects while one Akwaowo Daniel Umoren of Ikot Inemme in Essien Udim was arrested with an AK47 with 60 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition.
‘’Other exhibits recovered were five locally made pistols, eight live cartridges, two rounds of 5.56mm ammunition, one AK47 magazine, three expended cartridges, two masks, six assorted phones, three motorcycles and N63,000 cash.’’
According to him, ‘’Our preliminary investigation reveals that the same armed bandits were those responsible for the robbery at Gulfsafrin Filling Station in Ukana Ikot Ntuen, Essien Udim LGA, close to the residence of Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, CON.
‘’The Command under my watch has recorded another great breakthrough in her fight against criminal elements in the state and is poised to sustain her fight against every form of criminality in Akwa Ibom State and committed to protection of lives and property.
‘’Let me use this opportunity to thank the Government and people of Akwa Ibom State for their support to the Nigeria Police and indeed other security agencies towards reducing crime to the barest minimum. Together we will continue to make Akwa Ibom remain one of the safest States in the Country,’’ the commissioner stated.
