Ben Dunno, Warri

Four members of a notorious armed robbery gang that had terrorized residents of Oviorie community in Okpe Local Government area of Delta state, have been shot dead by soldiers from the Sector 1 Command, Operation Delta Safe (OPDS), stationed along the highway checkpoints.

The gang was also alleged to have been responsible for the series of armed robbery cases involving both private and commercial vehicles as well as trucks conveying market women along the busy Warri-Eku-Abraka road within the community.

Luck was said to ran out on the gang who operates mostly in commercial tricycle, popularly known as Keke, during the weekend as they tried to escape being caught by the community vigilante group who had laid ambush for them, following reported cases of their criminal activities on the road

Briefing newsmen on the incident, the Sector 1 Commander, OP Delta Safe (OPDS) Colonel Sanni Ahmed, said on sighting the soldiers at their checkpoint while attempting to escape from the vigilantes who had chased after them, the gang opened fire on the soldiers obviously to beat the checkpoint.

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“It was at this point that the soldiers retaliated by responding fire for fire and in the process the armed robbers fell to the superior fire power of the soldiers at the checkpoint leading to the killing of all the armed robbers”.

Items recovered from them includes two cut to size guns, one iron cutter, three mobile phones and their operational tricycle.

The bodies of the suspected robbers had since being deposited at the Eku mortuary while the items recovered had been handed over to the police.