Police Parade 91 Suspects for Robbery, Piracy, Cultism

The Ondo State Police Command on Monday paraded 91 persons arrested for offences as armed robbery, piracy and cultism.

The suspected robbers, the Commissioner of Police, Isaac Eke said were members of the gang that attacked banks in Owo recently and during which seven policemen were killed.

The robbers during the attack also killed two bank officials and 13 members of the public.

According to the commissioner, the fleeing armed robbery suspects were arrested by combined team of policemen drawn from Ondo, Edo and military personnel who engaged the robbers in a gun duel.

Eke said while the Ondo State policemen were pursuing the suspected robbers, the men of the Edo Police Command blocked them from the other end.

The police boss said 12,000 round of ammunitions, six assault rifles, 17 AK rifles, three riot gunners, one revolver pistol, one chief revolver pistol, 11 dynamites and 142 magazines were recovered from them.

Other arms recovered, included two sub machine guns, six Beretta rifles, two scorpion guns, three large rifles, three dane guns, Tarakov rifle and three pump action guns.

The commissioner disclosed that a sum of N9.3million cash, pair of police uniforms, 33 canister of tear gas, police steel helmets and 13 vehicles used for the operation were recovered from the suspected armed robbers.

Eke said the  arms recovered were parts of the arms carted away from Ikare-Akoko and Owo police stations when the hoodlums attacked last year and penultimate Thursday.

Apart from the robbery suspects, the commissioner said seven suspected pirates were arrested in Ajapa in Ese Odo Local Government Area of the state while catche of weapons were recovered from them.

Eke, 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 the security personnel last week.

He explained further that after a gun battle, 16 of the pirates were killed while seven including Ikes Omosebi, Akpos Atunwase, Uyeweri Zacchaeus, Augustine Goto, Ekuiwasemi Loghoga, Worifaifa Simon and John Omonipere were arrested with different rifles of different categories.

Eke said 76 suspected cultists and one kidnap suspect were also arrested within the last one week in order to keep the state free of criminal elements.

The police boss also used the medium to assure all law abiding citizens of the state of their safety and the security of their property, saying the command is more than ever prepared to deal with any criminal who dares to test the will and resolve of the officers to safe guard the state.