Police kill six car snatchers in gun battle in A’Ibom

Emeka Samuel, Uyo

The operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, Akwa Ibom State Command have killed six armed robbers that specialised in car snatching and selling across Akwa Ibom and Cross River States in shoot out.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Amiengheme Andrew, who said this while parading the dead robbers in Uyo Friday said they met their death during a shootout with the police along the Calabar-Itu Highway.

Andrew, who resumed duties a fortnight ago as the state CP explained that the dead robbers were on their way to Abia State to sell the car they had earlier snatched from a Calabar-based medical doctor when they met a patrol team of the state command of the police.

The deceased were said to have already contacted a buyer for the stolen vehicle.

“Today, around 5.30am, acting on a credible intelligence that a six-man armed robbery gang whose specialty is car snatching in Akwa Ibom and Cross River were operating along Calabar-Itu expressway.

“On receipt of the intel, SARS operatives proceeded to the scene, on sighting the Police Hilux the hoodlums opened fire on the operatives. A gun battle ensued, and the six-armed robbers sustained gun wounds.

“They were taken to the Police hospital in Uyo for treatment, but they were confirmed dead by the Doctor. Exhibits recovered were three locally made pistols, ten life cartridges, four expended cartridges, one pump action gun, one unregistered motorcycle, military camouflage cap and a Toyota Camry snatched from the victim, Dr Arinze Obinna, a physiotherapist at the General Hospital, Calabar.”

The CP warned hoodlums engaged in cultism, armed robbery, rape, and other vices to desist forthwith or leave the state as the command “under my watch has no room to accommodate any form of crime and criminality.”

The owner of the stolen car during an interaction with newsmen said the car was stolen at gun point from him while he was returning home with his family by the hoodlums.

Also arrested by the Police were a serial rapist and blackmailer, a murder suspect alleged to have murdered his 11 year old step son, five cultists and six armed robbery suspects.