The death of four armed robbery suspects while being trailed by officers of the Ondo State Police Command still remains a puzzle. The suspects had died in an auto crash after men of the State Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) gave them a hot chase while trying to escape from a robbery scene in Akure, the state capital.
The police also arrested 40 other suspects for different offences and paraded them at the commandheadquarters, Igbatoro Road, Akure. Commissioner of Police, Isaac Eke, said the four deceased robbers lost their lives after his men gave the criminals a hot chase which led to a fatal accident around 4.0am.
He explained that the robbers lost control of their vehicle with registration number 11/260FG and crashed it on the fence of a church along Idanre, Oke-Aro in Akure.
According to Sunday Sun ..he noted that the police took to action when the criminals opened fire on his men who were on patrol on Idanre Road, stressing that they snatched and destroyed a police pump action.
One of the victims of the deceased, Olumide Michael, said he and his brother were on their way to Port Harcourt when they were kidnapped: “Those dead criminals pretended to us that they were security operatives and that we were driving a tainted car, vowing to take us to the nearest police station.
“They took over my brother’s car and drove towards Ifon in Ose Local Government. When we got to Ifon, we were expecting them to drive us straight to the station because as at that time, they had also apprehended five other people but they passed the front of the station and drove straight to a forest.
“When we got to the place, they brought out their guns. They asked my brother how much he had in his bank account and if he was with his ATM card. My brother confessed that he had about N500, 000 in his account.
“They immediately changed the number plate of my brother’s cars with other vehicles they had snatched to a police and Federal Government number plate. They drove towards Owo Road through the forest.
“When we got to an unknown place, they called one man on phone that they’re going for an operation and that they would need police uniform.
“Before going for the operation around 4.a.m, they tied five of us to a tree, while two of us where taken away by one of them to an unknown place. We were rescued by farmers who were passing the route to the farm when we shouted on top of our voices.
“We ran to a nearby police station to report the incident. The D.P.O called us later that he had been informed that some suspected criminals had been arrested. Getting to the Police Command, we discovered that they were all dead and we identified them.”\
The PC disclosed that two AK 47 rifles with number 26182 belonging to Okuta- Elerinla Division carted away by the dead criminals were recovered. Others items were N160,000, 126 live ammunition, three magazines, 21 handsets, two number plates (Edo State), substances suspected to be dynamite and charms.
Six additional suspected robbers, 32 cultists, and two people for unlawful possession of human skull were paraded.
