Six masquerades arrested for snatching N200,000, injuring victims

Okegwo Kenechukwu Onitsha

The Anambra State Police Command has arrested six masquerades for snatching valuables and inflicting injuries on over 30 people during their Iwaji ceremony at Onitsha.

Some victims of the masquerades’ attacks claimed that people were beaten to a state of unconsciousness.

The six masquerades were rounded up at different locations, just as they were brandishing whips and other dangerous weapons.

During Police interrogation, one of the victims, who said that he came from Asaba and was heading to Onitsha to buy some goods when he was robbed of his N200,000 by the masquerades.

The victim explained that one of the masquerades blocked and snatched his money from him. When police finally tracked and arrested the masquerade in question, only N100,000 was found on him. The suspected masquerade said that his colleagues collected the rest of the money.

Meanwhile, other victims have besieged the Police area commander in Onitsha, displaying different injuries.

The masquerades, while fielding questions from the police, disclosed the names of their churches.

One of them said that he worships at St. Mary’s Catholic Church inland town. Others said Dominion City, Anglican and Pentecostal.

The masquerades were also alleged to have collected phones, jewelry and other valuables from people. They started the alleged attack between 6pm and 7pm on Tuesday.

 A police officer said that the police have developed cold feet in responding to public outcry over the activities of the Onitsha youths during the Iwaji cultural festival.

The officer added: “Some of these policemen would claim that it was their culture and wouldn’t want to make any arrest.”

Efforts to speak  with the Area Commander of Onitsha proved abortive as he was said to be out of the station on official assignment.

The Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Harunna Mohammed, said he was yet to be briefed on the matter.

Robbers kill sergeant, injure school principal on highway

Cajetan Mmuta,  BENIN

Dare-devil armed robbers, on Tuesday killed a police Sergeant and injured a school principal along the Benin-Lagos Express Road.

The policeman and the principal were travelling together from Enugu State to Lagos, when they ran into the gunmen operating along the route on Tuesday.

The bandits were alleged to have laid ambush for victims when the ugly incident occurred. Sources close to the police command said the incident happened at about 3 pm near the Benin-bypass.

The gunmen, who came out of surrounding bushes, rained bullets on the Lexus GX470 Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) on which Igoche and the school principal had travelled with.

The Edo State Commissioner of Police, Mr DanMalam Mohammed, who confirmed the incident, gave the name of the dead police sergeant as Yusuf Igoche.

The late Igoche, with Force Number F/462248, who served as an escort to the school principal, died during a gun duel with the robbers. The school principal sustained gunshot injuries in the attack. He was rushed to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) in Benin, Edo State.

DanMallam said: "The sergeant and school principal were returning from Enugu, when they ran into the robbery ambush. The sergeant was an escort to the principal. The sergeant confronted the robbers, but lost.”

The CP pointed out that the case was under investigation and that a formal report has been made to the Edo State Command on the incident.

DanMallam said: "As I’m speaking with you now, we’ve already started investigation. I just sent a combined team of police officers into the bush. On that day, our men pursued them. The robbers abandoned their car, while other things were  recovered from the car. I told our men to smoke the forest and used long range tear gas.”

The CP added: “When the robbers saw our policemen, they ran into the bush, but they didn’t know the terrain. They reached a dead-end and then abandoned their car there. Our men went there yesterday, but I sent them back today. There is the possibility that they will come out because wherever criminals operated and succeeded, there was almost one hundred percent possibility that they will come back.”

Operatives of the police command in collaboration with other sister agencies had few months back, with the assistance of the Edo State Government cleared all forests and bushes which before now, served as hideouts for criminals along the Lagos Benin Highway. The move was to make visible all dark spots and to allow motorists clearer view of the road.