Police repel attack as armed robbers strike at Ogun phone market, arrest one

Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have successfully repelled an armed robbery gang who invaded the popular phone market in Okelewo area of Abeokuta, the state capital.

The spokesman of the Command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the development in a statement on Thursday.

Oyeyemi said the armed robbers, numbering about eight, stormed the market, popularly known as TARMARC, at about 5:30pm on Wednesday and started shooting sporadically.

They then carted away expensive phones.

A distress call was said to have been quickly made to the Ibara Divisional Police Headquarters.

The Divisional Police Officer at Ibara Division, CSP Abayomi Adeniji, was reported to have quickly mobilised his anti-robbery and surveillance teams in collaboration with men of Amotekun Corps and moved to the scene.

On sighting the policemen, the robbers engaged them in a gun battle, but due to the superior fire power of the policemen, the hoodlums took to their heels.

They were hotly chased and with the assistance of the market men, one of the robbers, later identified as Adeniji Sakiru, 32, was apprehended.

Unfortunately, Dayo Bankole, a trader in the market, who was shot by the robbers, gave up the ghost while receiving treatment at the General Hospital, Ijaye, Abeokuta.

Recovered from the arrested robber were one double barrel locally made gun and assorted criminal charms.

The Command’s outgoing Commissioner of Police, now Assistant Inspector General of Police, Frank Mba, has directed that the suspect be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for discreet investigation.

Mba equally ordered a massive manhunt for the remaining members of the gang with the view to bring them to justice.

He therefore appealed to members of the public, especially hospitals, to inform the police if anybody with gunshot injury is seen in their area.