From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
A suspected member of a three-man gang has met his waterloo after sustaining injuries during a shoot out with policemen on stop and search duty in Delta State.
The news comes amid Operation Delta Hawk, a combined security network of the state government, having foiled a cult initiation ceremony in Agbor, Ika South Local Government Area of the state.
Confirming both incidents in Asaba on Thursday, Public Relations Officer of the State Police Command DSP Bright Edafe said the deceased suspect died at the hospital where he was rushed to for treatment, adding that a locally made pistol loaded with a live cartridge and two expended cartridges were recovered from him.
Edafe said the three-man gang who were in a white Lexus 350 SUV with registration number WWR 434 MD, were flagged down at Umunede on the Benin-Asaba-Onitsha expressway.
He said on noticing the operatives, the occupants stopped abruptly, disembarked, shot sporadically and ran into the bush.
According to him, operatives went after the hoodlums, returning fire for fire which resulted in fatal injuries on the late suspect while other escaped.
He said investigation revealed that the recovered Lexus 350 Jeep was snatched from the owner at gun point around Warri on last Saturday.
On the foiled initiation into the Vikings cult group, Edafe said the team acting on intelligence stormed the venue at Aliokpo Power Line, Off Old Warri Road Agbor, where two male suspects – Blessing Rex (30) and Lucky Wisdom (18) were arrested while others escaped.
Saying that efforts were on to trap down the fleeing suspects, Edafe added that 11 motorcycles and one vikings confraternity flag were recovered from the scene of the foiled initiation.
He also confirmed the arrest of 24-year-old Daniel Banjo with one locally-made double barrel pistol with two live cartridges also in Agbor by the Delta Hawk operatives.