•Robbers shoot dead policemen
From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Four suspected robbers impersonating operatives of Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (F-SARS) at the weekend met their Waterloo when authentic members of the police outfit gunned them down at Ogbogoro community, in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.
This is coming at a time gunmen killed a policeman, shot one local vigilance group’s member and other persons around Iloabuchi area of Mile 2 Diobu, in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area.
Confirming the killing of the impersonators, Commander of F-SARS in Rivers State, SP Akin Fakorede, said his men intercepted the deceased’s, who were robbing innocent people.
Fakorede said: “A four-man robbery gang with their AK47 rifles impersonating as SARS operatives, met their end on December 16, 2017, at Ogbogoro. The gang had gone to rob Mr. Wey Nwinanadun at his residence in Ogbogoro. The gang had previously robbed Port Harcourt residents at Ada George and Iwofe area of the city.”
He said SARS was determined to root out all criminal gang operating in the State, revealing that the criminals were overpowered and killed during gunfire.
The SARS boss disclosed that it was the same gang that had, early this year, killed a taxi driver operating in the area, adding that the robbers had wreaked havoc in the state for some time.
He further disclosed that all the property stolen by the robbers were recovered, noting that some of the victims had come to identify them.
A source in Ogbogoro disclosed that the suspects had arrived the community with some property, television and other valuables, which had been taken from their victims elsewhere.
The source noted that when the fake F-SARS entered Ogbogoro, a resident called Ozuoba Police Station, which alerted the commander of SARS.
When F-SARS personnel stormed the community and identified the individuals as fake, a gun battled ensued, which claimed the lives of the four impostors.
Meanwhile, the Police Public Relations Officer of the State, DSP Nnamdi Omoni, has confirmed the killing of a policeman at Iloabuchi area of Port Harcourt, revealing that the Commissioner of Police, Zaki Ahmed, had ordered a manhunt for the culprits.
Omoni said other persons, who sustained bullets wounds in the attack, including a member of a local vigilance group and another person, were receiving treatment.
He declared that the police would not relent in their efforts towards exterminating crime in the state, noting that policemen had been drafted to strategic locations to ensure effective policing of the state, especially during the yuletide.