From Joseph Obukata, Warri
Six suspected armed robbers who disguised themselves as vigilantes have met their waterloo in Ekpan community, Uvwie local government area of Delta State.
The suspects were apprehended on Thursday, December 15 at about 2000hrs following a tip-off.
State Police Public Relations Officer DSP Bright Edafe who confirmed this in a statement on Saturday in Warri, said those police operatives attached to Ekpan Police station deployed on patrol along Jakpa Road arrested the suspects.
He said that the police had intercepted a Toyota Sienna space bus, ash in colour without a registration number conveying six male occupants.
In the process of search conducted on the occupants of the vehicle, three (03) pump action guns, four (04) locally made guns, one (01) long axe, seven (07) expended cartridges, nine (09) live cartridges, native charms, three (03) cutlasses, two (02) number plates were recovered.
“The suspects, Aaron Okorigwe ‘m’ aged 27yrs and five others could not give a reasonable account of themselves, were taken into custody,” he disclosed.
DSP Edafe said that investigation later revealed that they were hoodlums who operated under the guise of being members of a hunters group from Ovwian Aladja, sneaking into Ekpan Community in a Sienna vehicle to rob and abduct unsuspecting victims.
“Following these findings, on 16/12/2022, the DPO invited three victims (names withheld), all of whom were at various times victims of armed robberies, and kidnappings in the area, and placed the suspects on an identification parade, the victims identified the suspects as the syndicate that robbed and kidnapped them,” he added.
He said that police has commenced further investigation into the incident.