Police arrest 8 suspects over Offa bank robberies
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) yesterday said eight suspects have been arrested over the robbing of banks in Offa, Kwara State, last week.
The spokesman of the Police, ACP Jimoh Moshood, said in a statement that the eight were picked up as the principal suspects following an intervention by the IGP.
He also said the police arrested 12 suspects directly responsible for the recent killings in Donga and Bali Local Government Areas of Taraba State.
He said 7 AK47 rifles, four Locally made revolver pistols and thirty rounds of AK47 ammunition and seven operational vehicles were recovered in the two states.
He further said IGP Ibrahim Idris had placed Commissioners of Police and police personnel nationwide on red-alert and directed 24-hour intelligence gathering and crime prevention/police visibility patrol of crisis spots, flashpoints and other vulnerable scenes in their commands throughout the country.
He said that the IGP was concerned over the bank robberies in Offa, Kwara State on Thursday, 5th April, 2018 and the killings on 4th & 7th April, 2018 in Donga and Bali Local Government Areas of Taraba State that resulted in the loss of innocent lives, carting away of huge sums of money and destruction of properties.
Moshood explained consequently the IGP that ordered deployment of three Police Mobile Force Units, high powered police investigation team, Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) with ten Crew members and Anti-Robbery equipment to Kwara State.
He said three Police Mobile Force units were deployed to Taraba State to beef up security and prevent further attacks.
He said the deployment of the three Police Mobile Force (PMF) in addition to the five PMF units recently deployed to Taraba State would cover Donga, Bali, Lau, Gassol, Karim Lamido LGAs and other flash points in the state.
He said, “the immediate intervention and preliminary investigation carried out by the high-powered Police Investigation Team deployed by the IGP working in synergy with the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department in the two Commands resulted in the arrest of Eight Principal Suspects in connection with the Offa Bank Robbery and Twelve Suspects directly responsible for the recent killings in Donga and Bali Local Government Areas of Taraba State.”
He said those arrested in Taraba State had confessed and admitted to the various criminal roles they played in the commission of the crime and will be arraigned in court on completion of investigation.
He said they included Ali Runo, Hassan Ruwo, Chindo Umoru, Yinusa Usman, Shittu Usman, Tervesee John, Terse Joseph, Victor Madu, Theophilos Ajee, Hasama George Tervise Boniface and Tijie Evarso.