Edo Police Kill Notorious Armed Robber, Smash Syndicate [Read More]

A notorious armed robber identified as Samson Ahigbe, was Wednesday shot dead by operatives of the Edo state Police Command.

Leader of the gand, Stanley Efosa, who sustained bullet wound in a shootout with the police was however arrested and is receiving treatment at an undisclosed medical facility in Benin.

A press statement signed by the Command’s spokesman, DSP Noble Uwoh, indicated that the incident occurred following a report by one Eze that some group of boys robbed him and his girlfriend of their phones, cash and other valuables at Kings Square, Benin City on 17 August 2014.

The statement said a team of investigators was immediately detailed to investigate the case which led to the apprehension of one of the robbers, Israel Moses while trying to unlock one of the stolen phones at Oba market.

“The suspect confessed to the crime and named six other members of his gang and they were rounded up at their hide-outs. However, two of the suspects sustained various degrees of bullet wounds as they confronted the police with arms when trying to evade arrest,” the statement read.

“The gang leader, Stanley Efosa sustained bullet wound and he is receiving treatment while the gang coordinator Samson Ahigbe a.k.a Agada, a notorious criminal, died on his way to the hospital,” Uwoh said.

He listed items recovered from the suspects to include one locally made pistol, one cut to size single barrel gun, 14 live cartridges, nine Mobile phones, one Gulf car marked No. AY 542 BEN and N45,000 cash.

In a related incident, the Command said it has successfully smashed a gang of notorious car snatchers in the state. 

Uwoh said operatives of the command arrested the three suspects who had earlier drugged the owner of an Audi 80 car marked No. 945 MF, and snatched the car.

“Investigation revealed that the driver was drugged with substances suspected to be Valium five and ten. Through covert intelligence, the operatives of the command traced the suspects to their hide-out at 3-3, Onitsha, Anambra state where the three suspects; Christopher Awaji, male, Oforma Chukwuma, male and Uzioko Ugochi, female were arrested and the stolen car recovered,” Uwoh said.