The Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Jennifer U. Iwegbu, disclosed this in statement issued on Tuesday, titled: "Edo Police Command triumphs in a firefight with armed robbers".
The Nigeria Police Force, Edo State Command says it has killed a notorious criminal in Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area of the state during a gun duel with gang members.
The Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Jennifer U. Iwegbu, disclosed this in statement issued on Tuesday, titled: "Edo Police Command triumphs in a firefight with armed robbers".
Giving details, Iwegbu said the 24-year=old alleged gang leader died on Monday during the foiled robbery operation.
She said, “On Monday, August 15, some armed robbers numbering five while invading one Mandela hotel, at Gabriel Street, Ihumudumu, Ekpoma were intercepted by Operatives of the Command attached to the Ekpoma Divisional headquaters following a distress call.
"Upon receipt of the information, the operatives immediately mobilised in collaboration with the vigilantes and swung into action. On sighting the team of Operatives, the robbers opened fire on the police which led to a gun duel not being able to withstand the superior firepower of the police, they scampered for safety with various degrees of bullet injuries.
"However, one of the hoodlums who was later identified as Emmanuel Johnson ‘M’ about 24yrs old, was neutralised during the gun duel."
She however, noted that efforts were ongoing to arrest other fleeing members of the gang.
According to her items recovered from the hoodlums include; "one locally made cut-to-size single barrel gun, five live cartridges, four expended cartridges and one Laptop."
The Command's spokesperson quoted the Commissioner of Police, Abutu Yaro, to have appealed to members of the public to ccontinue to provide the police with useful and credible information on criminal activities across the state to ensure that the criminal elements in state were nabbed.