Police parade Owo rank robbery suspects

Akure—POLICE in Ondo State, yesterday, paraded seven of the armed robbers that killed seven policemen in a recent robbery attacks on four banks at Owo, Ondo State, which also claimed the lives of four others and two bank officials.
The suspects were among the 84 others paraded for sundry crimes, including 76 suspected cult members, in the state.
Addressing newsmen in Akure, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Isaac Eke, said seven of the suspected armed robbers were part of those that attacked four banks in Owo and killed 13 persons, including seven policemen and two bank officials.
He explained that the cop killers were arrested by a combined team of policemen from Ondo, Edo and military personnel, adding that the robbers engaged the security personnel in a gun battle.
According to him, “while Ondo State policemen were pursuing the suspects, those in Edo State blocked them.”
Recovered weapons
Items recovered from them include 12,000 rounds of ammunition, six assault rifles, 17 AK-47 rifles, three riot guns, one revolver pistol, one chief revolver pistol, 11 rolls of dynamite and 142 magazines.
Others include two sub-machine guns, six Beretta rifles, two scorpion guns, three large rifles, three Dane guns, Tarakov rifle and three pump action guns.
Eke said N9.3 million cash, a pair of police uniforms, 33 canisters of tear gas, police steel helmets and 13 vehicles used for the operation were recovered from the suspected armed robbers.
According to him, the arms recovered were parts of the arms carted away from Ikare-Akoko and Owo Police stations, when the hoodlums attacked the station last year and two weeks ago.
Also paraded were suspected pirates, who were arrested at Ajapa in Ese Odo Local Government Area of the state, while a cache of weapons was recovered from them.
The police commissioner, who said the suspected pirates were arrested with the help of Gallery Security Service and military men, added that 16 of the unrepentant militants were killed in a gun battle with security personnel last week.
According to him, heavily armed hoodlums in military uniforms suspected to have been commanded by ‘General’ Ibori, an unrepentant militant, invaded and attacked Gallery Security base located at Akanaku community with five speed boats.
Eke said 16 suspected pirates were killed during a shootout, while seven of them were arrested with different rifles.
Those arrested included Ikes Omosebi, Akpos Atunwase, Uyeweri Zacchaeus, Augustine Goto, Ekuiwasemi Loghoga, Worifaifa Simon and John Omonipere.
Eke said 76 suspected cultists and one kidnap suspect were also arrested by police.
Vanguard