By Dele Ogbodo
The Nigeria Police on Sunday said 8 suspected armed robbers involved in the recent banks robbery and killings in Offa, Kwara State
have been arrested, while 12 others said to be connected with the killings and carting away millions of Naira in 2 LGAs in Taraba State have also been apprehended.
Concerned with the security situation in the 2 States, the Inspector General of Police (IG), Mr. Ibrahim Idris, in a statement signed by the Force PRO, Jimoh Moshood, has deployed personal to the 2 States to beef up security in the areas.
The statement read: “The IG, concerned with the bank’s robbery attack in Offa, Kwara State on Thursday, and the recent killings in Donga and Bali LGAs of Taraba State that resulted in the loss of innocent lives, carting away of huge sums of money and destruction of properties worth millions of Naira in the 2 states has ordered deployment of 3 Police Mobile Force Units, high powered police investigation team, Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) with 10 Crew members and Anti-Robbery equipments to Kwara State and three (3) additional Police Mobile Force units to Taraba State to beef up security in the 2 states.”
This according to him, will prevent further attacks, arrest perpetrators and carryout discreet investigation into the Offa banks robbery in kwara state and recent killings in Donga and Bali LGAs of Taraba state.
“The deployments which have arrived the 2 States will cover Offa LGA and its environ and other vulnerable points in Kwara State, while the deployment of the 3 Police Mobile Force (PMF) in addition to the 5 PMF units recently deployed to Taraba State will cover Donga, Bali, Lau, Gassol, Karim Lamido LGAs and other flash points in the State.
“The Police teams will carry out intelligence gathering, raids of identified criminal spots/flashpoints, stop and search operations, visibility and confidence building patrols, arrest of perpetrators and further investigation into the incidents.” the statement added.
Recovered from the suspects according to the Police were 7 AK47 Rifles, 4 Locally made Revolver Pistols and 30 Rounds of AK47 Ammunition, 7 Operational Vehicles of the Armed Robbers and assailants in the 2 Incidents.
The statement added: “In the Offa incident where 9 Policemen and 8 other persons were killed, the names of the 7 suspects and the additional 1 suspect bringing to eight 8 suspects arrested in connection with the incident who have admitted to the various criminal roles they played in the banks robbery attacks and also assisting Police investigation into the incident are being withheld but will be disclosed after the arrest of the remaining suspects and completion of investigation into the crime.”