Police in Delta kill 2 armed robbers who murdered a Keke rider

* Rescue kidnap victim and arrest the kidnappers

By Jon Egie

Operatives of Delta State Police Command have neutralized two suspects who killed a Keke rider and made away with the vehicle. Operatives also rescued a kidnap victim and arrested two suspects involved in the crime.

A release issued by the Command’s PPRO, DSP Bright Edafe said on Monday, January 16,at about 1700hrs, the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, Owvian Aladja Police station CSP Aliyu Shaba received a distress call that a male corpse was found at the expressway close to Ujevwu Junction in Udu LGA.

Acting on that information, the DPO detailed detectives to the scene where the corpse was later identified as Efe Peter ‘m’ 26yrs old a native of Egiegi community who was shot by some armed robbers who carted away his tricycle. The corpse was evacuated and taken to the mortuary.

On the same day, a good spirited individual reported at the station that the deceased was his tricycle rider, and the tricycle has a tracking device installed on it. It was on this information that the operatives again swung into action, trailed and located the tricycle to Warri/ Sapele Road by Mercy City church where the robbers on sighting the police opened fire in a bid to escape and the police responded accordingly.

In the ensuing gun duel, one of the suspects was neutralized, while the other suspect who sustained a serious gunshot injury was arrested. He confessed to the murder of the deceased Keke rider and revealed that his other gang members were one Kparobo ‘m’, Smally Macaiver ‘m’ and progress ‘m’ all residing in Ekpan. One cut to size locally made single barrel gun, one cartridge, and two expended cartridges were recovered while the injured suspect was taken to the hospital where he later died while receiving treatment. Effort is on to arrest the other gang members. The release added.

In a related development, on Wednesday, January 18, at about 1800hrs Dragon Patrol teams 19 and 20 while on stop and search duty along Ughelli/Patani Expressway by Quest TV and radio station, they were informed that the vehicle of a man who was kidnapped earlier in the day was sighted at Ohoro community.

Consequently, the operatives swung into action and proceeded to the said area with a view to rescuing the kidnapped victim and arresting the suspects.

The policemen, with active support of members of the community, trailed them to Patani Road, where the hoodlums, on noticing that the police were closing in on them, drove recklessly and got involved in an accident. The police quickly intercepted the car while trying to flee the scene, arrested one of the suspect named Lucky Owofasa ‘m’ aged 28yrs of Ewu community Ughelli South LGA and a cut-to-size locally made gun, three (03) live cartridges were recovered from him while others escaped.

The victim who was locked in the boot of the car was rescued unhurt and reunited with his family. Manhunt for the other fleeing members of the gang is ongoing.