Angered by the recent killing of five policemen in Lagos State by some armed robbers, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police Umar Manko,has declared an all-out war against criminals in all the nooks and crannies of the state. Manko is believed to have given special directives to the officer in charge of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, Abba Kyari, to fish out the criminals that perpetrated the act without delay.
The first incident occurred midday, last Tuesday, after some gunmen suspected to be armed robbers attacked a police patrol van along Ijora-Olopa area of the state. The policemen were shot from behind while in a moving patrol vehicle. Police sources said the suspects who were three in number, were operating on motorbike and dressed in caftan. “They took advantage of a down pour to hit the policemen who were five in the vehicle. Three of the policemen died on the spot while the fourth sustained injuries with the driver escaping unhurt,” the source stated.
The second incident occurred around 11pm, on the same day, in Iju-Ishaga area of the state, when a gang of heavily armed robbers attacked residents of the area and killed two policemen while two others were left with severe bullet wounds. Sources intimated Crime Alert that the policemen attached to Iju Police division met their untimely death while responding to a distress call. Their patrol vehicle was fired upon after it was ambushed by the gang of armed robbers who were operating with three Sport Utility Vehicles.
It was gathered that immediately after these killings took place, the visibly angry police boss swung into action and ordered all the relevant departments of the force involved in fishing out criminals to either get the pepertrators or face the music. He was specifically quoted as saying that the ‘criminals have come to a deadly end because they must pay for their bloody act.’
A source who spoke with Crime Alert on the condition of anonymity said, SARS operatives were swiftly mobilized and sent out in search of the gang that carried out the attack at Iju-Ishaga and they accosted one of the SUVs used for the operation and arrested its driver. “Unfortunately for the robbers, some of the policemen who survived the attack at Iju-Ishaga radioed to disclose the colours and make of the SUVs used for the operation. It became easy for SARS operatives to identify one of the SUVs and when they accosted the vehicle, its occupants escaped on sighting the operatives but the driver was shot on the leg when he attempted to escape,” the source narrated.
Police sources also disclosed that operatives have adopted several measures in ensuring that the hoodlums behind these attacks are brought to book. Some of the measures adopted, according to the sources included; swift assistance to policemen responding to distress calls and deployment of SARS operatives whose job is largely based on intelligence at strategic locations within the state; a move that will enable them respond swiftly to distress calls from any part of the state. “ You know the job of responding to distress calls is mainly that of policemen at divisions and the Area Commands, SARS, operatives are rarely not found around such operations because their job is based heavily on intelligence,” the source disclosed.
Crime Alert further gathered that this move has started paying off as a member of the gang that carried out the killing at Iju-Ishaga, around 11pm, has been arrested. The suspect whose name is yet to be known was arrested few hours after the operation. The suspect and members of his gang operating on three SUVs were ambushed and they opened fire on a team of policemen responding to a distress call at Iju-Ishaga, killing two at the spot, while two others sustained severe injuries.
Meanwhile, SARS operatives, did not stop at that, a team of decoy operatives on patrol along strategic locations sighted a silver coloured Honda Accord Saloon car with Reg No: AW 69 NRK with three suspicious occupants along Abeaokuta Express way near old toll gate. It was learnt that when the operatives approached the suspicious car, the occupants who were armed opened fire on the policemen and zoomed off forcing the operatives to pursue them. They were eventually intercepted at Sango Area of Ogun State where serious exchange of gun fire ensured. Three of the gunmen were killed while three locally made pistols, 28 live and 17 expended catridges were recovered from the suspects
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