The operatives went in pursuit of the gang and encountered them where they had positioned themselves to rob motorists.
Operatives of the Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu of the Anambra State Police Command has foiled an armed robbery operation along Ebenebe-Achalla road in Awka North Local Government Area of the state.
The Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, who made this known in a statement on Tuesday in Awka, the state capital, said that the operatives while on anti-kidnapping patrol received tipped off from a public spirited citizen who saw two gunmen being conveyed on a motorcycle along the road.
“The operatives went in pursuit of the gang and encountered them where they had positioned themselves to rob motorists.
“On sighting the approaching operatives, they tried to engage them in a shootout but the battle-ready operatives quickly overwhelmed them, forcing them to abandon their weapons and fled into the bushy environment.
“Operatives combed the bush and recovered two AK-47 Rifles loaded with several rounds of 7.62mm ammunition and shells of expended rounds,” Ikenga said.
The police spokesperson said that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Aderemi Adeoye, who commended the team for its gallantry, asked them to step up proactive operations in that part of the state until all criminal elements tormenting citizens in the area were completely flushed out.