June 6, 2022

The Police Command in Delta has confirmed the killing of three robbery suspects, after a gun battle with police operatives on Sunday in Umunede village, near Agbor.

The spokesperson of the command, DSP Bright Edafe, said in a statement on Monday in Asaba that three of the suspects who sustained serious gunshot wounds died in the hospital.

“On the 5th of June, 2022, at about 12:30 a.m., operatives of the command’s Rapid Response Squad, while on patrol, along Asaba/Benin expressway, came under attack from armed hoodlums suspected to be kidnappers.

“The suspects, numbering about five, suddenly emerged from the bush around Umunede, and fired gunshots at the bus in an attempt to rob and possibly kidnap the occupants.

“However, unknown to them that the occupants were undercover police operatives, the police team smartly disembarked from the vehicle and returned fire,” Edafe said.

He further stated that the armed hoodlums on realizing that their potential victims were policemen, ran into the bush.

According to him, the police team went into a fierce gun battle with the hoodlums, during which three members of the gang were fatally wounded and arrested.

“The team recovered one fabricated revolver pistol, six 7.62mm live ammunition, while four expended 7.62mm ammunition were also recovered from them.

“The injured hoodlums were taken to the hospital, but died while receiving treatment, while the police have launched a manhunt for the fleeing members of the gang,” Edafe said.