Bank robbers killed, one arrested after killing three cops

Juliana Francis
The Lagos State Police Command have arrested four persons, including a slain dismissed soldier who were responsible for the killing of three policemen and around the Ayobo area of Ipaja, Lagos State.

The slain soldier has been identified as Eyo Bassey. Bassey and his gang had also been linked to several other robberies and killings along the Ijaiye and Agege areas of the metropolis.

Bassey however was not the only gang member killed during a shoot out with the police. It was gathered that aside from Bassey, two other members of the gang had also been killed.
The only surviving member of the gang presently is one Nomso Egbuzobi and he is now in police custody.

Five AK 47 rifles , 30 AK 47 magazines , 300 AK 47 ammunition, one police Walkie-Talkie , 30 five cartridges , one Liberty Sports Utility Vehicle , one hammer and some Nigerian Army  uniforms were recovered from the gang' s hideout at Iyana Ipaja area of the state.

The suspected bank robbers were said to have attacked and killed the three policemen during a robbery attack on a branch of a new generation bank at Ayobo.

According to the police command, the three suspected robbers were killed after they engaged anti-robbery policemen in a shoot out at the Ilasamanja area of Lagos.
The rifles which were recovered from the suspects were said to have been collected from policemen killed during robbery operations at different banks at Ayobo, Igando, and Ifako Ijaiye areas.
The Commissioner of Police, Umar Manko, elated by the present achievement of his men, warned robbers who used to attack and kill policemen to stop doing so.
Narrating how the gang was defeated, Manko said: "On November, 20, 2013, we received information that a gang of deadly armed armed robbers who recently killed policemen during Access Bank, Ayobo robbery operation have perfected plans to rob a business man of a large sum of money, running into several millions of naira at the Ilasamaja area of the state. On the strength of this information, the Officer in charge of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Abba Kyari, immediately led a team of SARS decoy to the area, where they laid ambush for the robbers. Eventually, a gun battle ensued between the SARS team and the armed robbers, leading to two of the robbers being fatally injured. In the process, one Nomso Egbuzobi was arrested alive."
The police boss further stated: "One AK 47 rifle with the no S/ No 05267, 11 AK 47 magazines, fully loaded, one Liberty Jeep with the registration No LH 124 EKY and three Nokia mobile phones were recovered from the bandits.
"In a follow up to the case, through careful and diligent investigations, the dead armed robbers were identified as one Daniel Onuoha and Eyo Bassey, a dismissed soldier. “
Further investigations on the homes and hideout of the robbers led to the recovery of: four AK 47 rifles, 19 AK 47 magazines, fully loaded, police walkie talkie and charger, 300 rounds of AK 47 live ammunition and a Nigerian Army uniforms.
Manko added: “It is pertinent to mention that the five AK 47 rifles recovered so far, four belonged to policemen killed during various robbery operations within Lagos State."
The police boss said that AK 47 rifles with numbers 20640 and 5008685 belonged to late ASP Longnu Amuzie, late Sergeant Idowu Joshua and late Col Jerry Baman, all attached to Ayobo division, who were killed by robbers on November, 16, 2013 during the foiled robbery at Access Bank Ayobo. Two among the three slain policemen were said to be in possessions of their rifles before they were killed, but the third officer was not with his rifle.
Also AK 47 rifle with the no 403647 was carted away from Late Corporal Emmanuel Asewetan attached to Igando division, while AK 47 with rifle No 05267 was taken away from late Nofiu Sanni attached to Pen Cinema, who was killed by same robbers on April, 14, 2013, after a police team responded to a robbery attack on Diamond Bank, College Road, Ifako Ijaiye.”