The bullion van robbery suspects allegedly carted away N390m
The Police Command in Abia has arrested 10 members of an armed robbery gang that robbed a bullion van in the state on July 26 and stole about N390 million.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Janet Agbede, made this known while parading the suspects before newsmen at the command’s headquarters in Umuahia on Monday,
According to her, the suspects belong to a 14-member gang that specializes in bullion van robbery in different parts of the country.
She said that the suspects were arrested at different times and locations in Abia, Delta, Lagos, Ondo, Rivers and Imo.
The Commissioner of Police said that the arrest was made possible by “a special intelligence, technologically-led investigation squad”.
She said that the squad was set up in the aftermath of the July attack, which occurred at Ntigha Junction on the Isialangwa axis of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway.
Agbede said: “I carefully studied their modus operandi and set up a special intelligence, technologically-led investigation squad, with a clear directive to arrest and recover weapons used by the deadly armed gang.
“Consequently, the squad systematically commenced operation, applying speed and accuracy.”
According to her, the effort of the squad led to the arrest of the suspects at the different locations and days that they were nabbed.
Agbede said that the suspects confessed to the crime “in their individual voluntary statements.”
She also said that the suspects confessed to have robbed bullion vans in Ajah in Lagos, Akure Road in Ondo State, Asaba and Mbaise in Imo.
The CP further said that the suspects confessed that the Abia attack was executed after they successfully mounted about two months surveillance on the bullion van.
She named the suspects as Adesoji Adeniyi, aka “Soji”, and Albert Nwachukwu, aka “White”, who were arrested in Lagos State.
Others are Felix Ajalaja, Moshood Opeyemi, aka “Abiola”, and Azubuike Amaefule, aka “Zubby”, who were nabbed in Rivers.
Nnamdi Nwaosu, aka “Prophet”, Monday Samuel, aka “MD”, and Matthew Christmas, aka “Aluwa”, were arrested in Imo, Ondo and Delta, respectively.
The police commissioner also disclosed that there were two suspect brothers from Abia, named Chikwendu and Prosper Israel, who were arrested in Abia.
Prosper told newsmen that he joined his brother in criminal activities after he was dismissed from the Department of State Services.
Weapons recovered from the suspects included one General Purpose Machine Gun with 53 rounds of live ammunition, 13 AK47 rifles with 1,749 live ammunition, two improvised explosive dynamites.
Others are one cut-to-size double barrel gun with live cartridges and 84 AK47 magazines.
The operatives also impounded a Mercedes Benz truck allegedly used by the gang to conceal their firearms.
They also recovered N10,184,000 from the suspects out of the N390 million allegedly stolen from the bullion van.
The CP said that investigation was still in progress to ensure the arrest of other members of the gang who were still at large.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the affected bullion van was conveying cash from a bank in Aba to Umuahia, when it reportedly ran into a blockade mounted by the robbers.
The police said the robbers shot and killed the bank’s Cash Officer, while three of the escort policemen sustained bullet injuries.
They also confirmed that one of the gunmen was neutralised during the gun battle that ensued.
Meanwhile, Agbede has appealed to Abia residents to continue to assist the command with useful and timely information to enable it take proactive steps in fighting crime.
She said that the command had devised strategies to restore adequate security in Umunneochi and other parts of Abia that had become notorious for kidnapping and banditry.
