Matilda Omonaiye/
Five days after four policemen were killed and others injured by bandits who hijacked a bullion van in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State on July 29, seven suspected members of the gang are now in police net.
According to the police, bombs, heavy guns and loads of ammunition were recovered by the gang that has soldiers as members.
The gang was smashed following a manhunt by the Intelligence Response Team and detectives attached to the Technical Intelligence Unit, which led to the arrest of one 45-year-old Alfred Robinson from Ijaw tribe, also identified as a native of Gelegele Town in Ovia North LGA of Edo State on August 1 in Asaba, Delta State.
Six other suspected members of the gang were arrested after Robinson’s interrogation.
The police team claimed to have recovered from the gang a Toyota 4 Runner Jeep marked AAA 561 FV, snatched alongside others for the purpose of the robbery.
The police also recovered one GPMG Rifle with 153 rounds of live ammunition, five AK 47 rifles with 1402 rounds of live ammunition, one K2 rifle with loaded magazine, and 51 AK 47 magazines.
The rifles Serial Numbers were listed as K2….07013647, AK 47….402701, AK 47…. 60740, AK 47….35-6835, and AK 47……21149.
There’s also one unnumbered AK47 rifle.
Other arrested members of the gang were identified as: Sunday Soyemu aka Sunny, 46, (Ijaw man from Alegnene in Ekeremor LGA of Bayelsa State, a 43-year-old serving soldier attached to the Command Day Secondary School, Nigeria Army Cantonment, Ikeja, Sergeant Ayeni Samuel with service number 03NA/53/088 (a native of Ilesha Town in Osun State); and a dismissed soldier identified as 33-year-old Corporal Emeka Harrison with service number 03NA / 53. Before his dismissal in 2015, Harrison was attached to 7 Division Garrison, Maiduguri, Borno State. He is a native of Nsukka in Enugu State.
The suspected sponsor of the gang was identified as 37-year-old Emeka Illo, who hails from Igwachi Community in Orji River area of Enugu State. He resides at FH Estate in Kubwa, Federal Capital Territory.
Other arrested suspects were identified as Abuchi Elijah aka “Chime D Mosquito”, a 27-year-old native of Nsialangwa in Abia State, who resides at Bonsac area of Asaba in Delta State, and Ibanifiroi Ekiene, a 38-year-old Ijaw man and native of Tombia Community in Dedema area of Rivers State.
Recovered from the second batch of the arrested suspects, who were allegedly planning another robbery, Lexus 350 SUV marked AGL 267 FN containing the following 136 rounds of K2 ammunition, five K2 magazines, 12 locally made bombs, one KPT Power Tool 230MM Angle Grinder, two hammers, a cutter and some fetish objects.
All suspects upon interrogation allegedly confessed to the Bullion Van Robbery in Ebonyi State where four policemen were killed, as well as other armed robberies and kidnappings across the South-east and South-south regions.
Detectives found that four of the recovered rifles belonged to the slain officers.
