The Abia State Police Command has arrested a 10-man armed robbery gang in connection with a bank bullion van robbery along Enugu-Portharcourt expressway near Ntigha Junction in Isiala Ngwa North Local government Area of Abia State.
Recall that on 26 July 2022, a bullion van loaded with cash, belonging to a new generation bank was ambushed and robbed by a large number of armed robbers.
Parading the suspects on Monday, the Abia State commissioner of Police, Janet Agbade, said the armed robbers killed the cash officer of the bank and made away with all cash in the bullion van, adding that one of the armed robbers was killed in the process.
According to the Police boss, one Prosper Israel, a dismissed officer of the Department of State Services ( DSS ), was among the armed robbers.
Others are: Adesoji Adeniyi, Nnamdi Nwaosu aka prophet, Nwachukwu Albert, the lead Armourer, Felix Ajalaja, Moshood Opeyemi, Matthew Christmas, Azubuike Amaefula, and Monday Samuel.
In his confessional statement, Mr Israel said he was dismissed from the DSS after his service at Government House, Abia State ended in 2007 at the end of former governor, Orji Kalu’s tenure.
According to the dismissed officer, before he could return to his station, he was tried and summarily dismissed in absentia.
He said his younger brother, along with his colleagues,
brought money and shared it in his house and gave him part of it.
On whether he was aware that his brother was into robbery, he answered in affirmative.
He said he regretted his action and pleaded for forgiveness.
Exhibits recovered from them include, one General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) with 53 rounds of live ammunition, thirteen AK47 rifles with 1,749 live ammunition, two improvised explosive dynamite, one cut to size double barrel gun with 5 live cartridges, and eighty four (84) AK47 magazines.
Others are, Mercedes Benz mini truck which they used in concealing their firearms and cash of ten million, one hundred and eighty four thousand naira (N10,184,000.00) only.
“All the above mentioned suspects in their individual voluntary statements confessed belonging to a 14-man awful armed robbery gang with speciality in bullion van attacks and that for about two months before the attack, the bullion van had been under their surveillance” the CP said.
The commissioner of Police called on parents to always monitor the source of livelihood of their children and wards.
She called on Abians to always give useful information to the police in other to enhance the proactive measures to protect lives and property.
Parading the suspects on Monday, the Abia State commissioner of Police, Janet Agbade, said the armed robbers killed the cash officer of the bank and made away with all cash in the bullion van, adding that one of the armed robbers was killed in the process.