CRIME NEWS UPDATE !!!!! Harvest of Robbers : Soldiers, 6 others in Police net for Bullion Van theft ..SCOPENEWS.COM.NG
BY ;. BAM ADE.
A serving and dismissed soldiers of the Nigerian Army have been arrested with five others for robbing a bullion van and killing four policemen in the process in Ebonyi state.
The suspects are Sunday Soyemu (aka Sunny) 46, a native of Alegnene in Ekeremor LGA of Bayelsa state; 03NA/53/088 Sergeant Ayeni Samuel, 43, a serving soldier but attached Command Day Secondary School, Ikeja Cantonment and a native of Illesha town from Illesha South LGA of Osun state.
Others included: 03NA / 53 Corporal Emeka Harrison, 33, a dismissed soldier, who was until his dismissal was serving at the 7 Division Garrison, Maiduguri, Borno state. He was said to have been dismissed in 2015. He is a native of Nsukka in Nsukka of Enugu state.
Emeka Illo, 37, (aka The Sponsor) is a native of Igwachi community in Oji River LGA of Enugu state but resident at Federal Housing Estate, Kubwa, Abuja. Also Abuchi Elijah (aka CHIME D Mosquito) is 27 years old who is said to be an informant to the Abakaliki/Awka Recharge Card robbery but hails from Nsalangwa in Nsalangwa LGA of Abia State and resident at Bonsac Area of Asaba in Delta state and Ibanifiroi, 38, an Ijaw by tribe and native of Tombia community in LGA of Rivers state.
The robbers had on July 29, 2020, attacked a Bullion Van in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State killing four police officers while others were seriously injured.
Recovered from the criminals are 12 undetonated improvise explosives, one General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), six rifles, 51 AK 47 Magazines, 1,620 rounds of ammunition, two vehicles, breaking implements and charms.
As a result of the attack on the bullion van, Intelligence Response Team detectives (IRT) in conjunction with the Technical Intelligence Support (TIU) launched a manhunt for the robbers and arrested one of them identified as Alfred Roninson, 45, an Ijaw by tribe but hails from Gelegele town in Ovia North LGA of Edo state.
It was learnt that the suspect was arrested on Saturday, August 1, 2020, in Asaba, Delta state and recovered the following items from him: a Toyota 4 RUNNER Jeep with Reg NO: AAA 561 FV (Nassarawa state) which was allegedly snatched for the purpose of the operation.
However, the Jeep was found to have had the following items in it: one GPMG with 153 rounds of live ammunitions; five AK 47 rifles with 1402 rounds of ammunitions; one K2 rifle with loaded magazine; and 51 AK 47 magazines.
It was also revealed that the rifles found had the following serial numbers: K2 … 07013647; AK 47… 402701; AK 47… 60740; AK 47… 35-6835; AK 47… 21149 and one AK47 without serial number.
Following the arrest, the police activated intensive follow up which led to the arrest of six more members of the gang within 24hrs.
The six of them were arrested on Sunday, August 2, 2020. They allegedly came together from various axis of the South-South /South East with the intent to perfect a bank robbery in Asaba. However, a Lexus 350 Jeep with REG NO: AGL 267 FN ( LAGOS) was recovered from them.
Items found in the car are: 136 rounds of K2 ammunition; five K2 magazines, 12 locally made unexploded bomb; one KPT power Tool 230MM angle grinder, one big hammer, one small hammer, one big cutter and four different prepared charms.
Police revealed that all the suspects have been interrogated and have confessed to be those that attacked the Bullion Van in Ebonyi State where four policemen were killed with many other armed robberies/kidnappings operations across the South East and South South.
It was also learnt that the suspects confessed that four out of the Rifles recovered belong to the Policemen they killed during the Bullion Van robbery in Ebonyi State.
At the moment, they are assisting the police with more information in move to arrest more members of the gang.
