Police kill four gunmen who allegedly attacked fuel station close to Akpabio’s home

The police in Akwa Ibom State have killed four of the five armed robbers whose operation at a petrol station led to claims of attempted gunmen attack on the country home of Senator Godswill Akpabio last Tuesday.

The masked gunmen, who operated with motorcycles were killed during an operation in a bank at Ikot Ekpene, after robbing ATM users and shop owners at gun point in broad daylight.

The state Police Commissioner Mr Adeyemi Ogunjemilusi, who disclosed this to journalists in Uyo at the command’s headquarters Ikot Akpanabia Uyo, said that while four of the hoodlums were shot dead in a gun battle, one of them, Daniel Umoren, was captured alive after sustaining gunshot injuries.

According to the Commissioner, “Yesterday, being the 23rd day of August 2018, at about 5pm, five notorious armed robbers led by Kingsley Peter a.k.a ‘Morale’ who is the gang leader, using three motorcycles robbed some persons along Aba road by Ikot Osurua before proceeding to a banking area along the same road.

‘My men of Ikot Ekpene Division led by the Divisional Police Officer Benjamin Achegbani, trailed and engaged the hoodlums in a fierce shoot out , four of the armed robbers were shot dead while one Akwaowo Daniel Umoren of Ikot Inemme in Essien Udim LGA was arrested with an AK47 with 60 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition.

” Items recovered from them include 5 locally made pistols, 8 live cartridges , 2 rounds of 5.5mm ammunition, 1 AK47 magazine,3 Expended cartridges , 2 masks, 6 assorted phones, three motorcycles and physical cash of N63,000.

“Our preliminary investigation revealed that the same armed robbers were those responsible for the robbery at Gulfsafrin Filling station, located at Ukana Ikot Ntuen close to the residence of Senator Godswill Akpabio.”

The commissioner attributed recent upsurge in robbery operations in Ikot Ekpene to infiltration of the commercial motorcyclists union by armed robbers who pose as commercial motorcyclists, warning that the curfew on motorcycles in the area would be sustained until the association fishes out fake members amongst them.

“The command is poised to sustain her fight against every form of criminality in Akwa Ibom and committed to protection of lives and property,” he said.

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