From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
The Abia State Police command has paraded a retired officer of the Department of State Service (DSS), his brother and eight other suspects it arrested last week, in connection with the bullion van attack at the Ntigha Junction axis, along the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, in Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area of the state.
During the robbery attack, a cash officer of a new generation bank, accompanying the bullion van from Aba to Umuahia was shot dead by the armed robbers, while five police escorts were wounded. One of the dare-devil armed robbers was also neutralised on the spot during the attack.
The armed robbers were said to have made away with N390 million which the bullion van was conveying from Aba to Umuahia.
Parading the suspects at the command headquarters, Umuahia, the Commissioner of Police, Mrs. Janet Agbede, disclosed that on July 26, a bullion van loaded with cash, property of a new generation bank, was attacked by the suspects. She revealed that after the armed robbery attack, she set up a special intelligence technologically-led investigation squad with a clear directive to arrest and recover weapons used by the armed robbery gang.
She said the investigation squad swiftly went into action, which culminated in the arrest of the ex-DSS officer, Prosper Israel, and his brother, Chinwendu Israel, both from Abia State.
Also arrested are Adesoji Adeniyi, from Ondo State; Nnamdi Nwaosu, aka “Prophet”, from Rivers State; Nwachukwu Albert, aka White, from Delta State; Felix Ajalaja, from Ondo State and Moshood Opeyemi, aka Abiola, from Osun State.
Others arrested are Matthew Christmas, aka Aluwa, from Delta State; Azubuike Amaefula, aka Zubby, from Abia State, and Monday Samuel, aka MD, from Delta State, but arrested in Ondo state.
Agbede said the suspects in their voluntary statements confessed belonging to a 14-man armed robbery gang with speciality in bullion van attacks. He said the suspects disclosed that for about two months before the attack, the bullion van was under their surveillance.
Speaking with journalists, some of the suspects who admitted to the crime confessed to have, before now, attacked the robbed bullion vans in Lagos, Ondo, Delta and Imo states.
The DSS official, who revealed it was in his house that the gang shared the money, claimed he saved at the Abia Government House till 2007, but before he could report back to his duty post, he was given an orderly room trial and dismissed.