3 Robbery Suspects Killed In Oyo

Three armed robbery suspects lost their lives in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, during a gun duel with policemen.

The incident was said to have occurred at Idi-Ayunre axis of Ibadan-Ijebu Ode Road in Oluyole Local Government area of the state on Thursday April, 23, 2015, at 11p.m.

Items recovered from the suspects included two wooden guns wrapped with black sellotape, a cutlass, gold jewelry, some cash and two torches.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Mohammed Katsina, told newsmen yesterday that several other armed robbery suspects escaped with gunshot wounds.

He described the suspects as “a gang of itinerant dare-devil armed robbers that had terrorised traders, commuters and other road users in the Ibadan-Ijebu-Ode axis of Idi-Ayunre, Ibadan. They had maimed innocent citizens and dispossessed them of their hard-earned money and other valuables.”

Katsina, who was represented by the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Adekunle Ajisebutu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), further stated that “with the help of our robust intelligence network, the command’s Ambush Squad, comprising well-trained personnel from Idi-Ayunre Division swooped on them during one of their operations on April 23, 2015 about 10:48 p.m. During the exchange of gunshots, three of them were killed while others escaped with bullet wounds.”

Katsina, however, urged hospitals, and traditional healing homes to report to the police anyone with bullet wounds that might come to them for treatment.

“I sincerely express satisfaction with the level of cooperation in terms of information from members of the public. We want to reiterate commitment to our traditional mandate of protecting lives and property in the state,” he said.

Meanwhile, one of the victims of armed robbery attacks along Ibadan-Ijebu Ode Road, Mr. Jayeola Olawuyi, has told policemen how the armed robbery suspects attacked him and his wife when they were travelling from Ibadan to Ijebu-Ode in their Toyota Corolla car.

Olawuyi stated that they ran into a barricade formed by the bandits, adding that they were dispossessed of their money and gold jewellery. The suspects, he noted, left them with machete cuts and they were later rushed to a hospital.