The Benue State Police Command have arrested a robbery kingpin, who allegedly masterminded the attack on a police station leading to the death of three police officers.
The suspect, one Vincent Adoyi, who had been on the wanted list of the Command for last October’s attack on the Igumale Police Station in Ado Local Government Area of the state and various heinous crimes, was nabbed after a swoop on his hideout at Obekpa village in Okpokwu Local Government Area of the state.
Parading the suspect alongside 15 others, the state Commissioner of Police, Bashir Makama said “two Pump Action Riffles with numbers Delta 4001 and CAL12/76 with 25 live cartridges were recovered from him.
“He also made useful statement to have knowledge of the whereabout of the three AK47 Riffles snatched from Policemen at Ado Division when it was attacked last October in which three Policemen lost their lives.
“He is also strongly suspected to have been involved in another attack on a police patrol team in Ugbokolo, Okpokwu Local Government Area during which a Police Inspector was killed last year.”
The Police Commissioner disclosed further that the Command at the weekend engaged a gang who specialized in barricading the Makurdi-Lafia road robbing and disposing unsuspecting motorists of the valuables, in a gun duel.
“On receiving several distress calls We mobilized to the scene at Ukohol village, on sighting our operatives, the gang engaged them in a gun battle and one of the robbers was fatally injured, while others escaped into the bush and are still at large.”
He explained that the injured suspect was however confirmed dead in the hospital where he was taken for medical attention.
“We recovered from the gang, one military AK47 Riffle with breech number 49022304, six rounds of live ammunition, 25 expended AK47 ammunition, one expended cartridge and a big bag containing cloths and documents including Identification Card bearing Mbamalu Anthony Somtochukwu.”
The Commissioner who assured of the preparedness of the command to fight crime in the state urged members of the public to avail the command useful information.
