smash

Three members of a five-man notorious armed robbery gang said to be terrorising the residents of Onitsha metropolis and its environs were killed when Police operatives of the Anambra State Command smashed the gang on Sunday.

The robbers met their Waterloo in a confrontation with the police operatives at the Ibekwe Junction by Ugwunakpamkpa in Inland Town, located in the commercial city of Onitsha, after a gun battle with the police, late on Sunday.

Our correspondent who visited the area on Monday, gathered that the security operatives, who were patrolling the area, opened fire on the five-man gang, resulting in the death of three of the robbers, while one escaped with gunshot wounds and another was captured alive.

Some of the residents, who spoke to PUNCH Metro, expressed delight, saying respite and calm would return to the area following the development.

One of the residents, Mrs Ijeoma, said, “The gang is famous for snatching vehicles at gunpoint in Onitsha and its surrounding areas. They attempted to ambush a flashy vehicle at the junction without realising that it was occupied by police officers on patrol.

“We express our gratitude for the police action, hoping that this marks the end of the gang’s reign of terror in the area.”

During interrogation by the police officers, the sole surviving gang member (name withheld) who claims to be a resident of Kaduna Street, Fegge, Onitsha, said the gang had intended to seize the vehicle, believing it belonged to a civilian.

“However, as soon as we moved to attack, the police officers responded with immediate force, taking out three of our gang on the spot and recovering two firearms from the scene,” he added.

The suspect, who is in police custody, also revealed startling details during his interrogation.

He confessed that the guns used in their operations were supplied by a notorious cultist, who also provided the gang with weapons and served as the receiver of their stolen vehicles and other loot.

Speaking to journalists, the police operatives, who craved anonymity because they were not authorised to speak, assured the public that the investigation into the gang’s activities would continue, with a manhunt launched to apprehend the remaining gang member, who escaped with injuries.

The Anambra State Police Command, through the spokesman SP Tochukwu Ikenga, commended the bravery and quick response of the officers involved in the operation and emphasised the ongoing effort to crack down on criminal elements operating within the state.