Robbery suspect nabbed in army camouflage
The police in Benue State have arrested an armed robbery suspect in army camouflage after bursting his gang’s operation along Makurdi-Lafia road.
The Commissioner of Police, Ene Okon, while parading the suspect, alongside many others arrested for various offences, on Monday, at the command’s headquarters in Makurdi, said he was apprehended after a gun duel between members of his gang and the police.
Okon explained that following reported cases of robbery along Makurdi-Lafia road, FSARS operatives deployed to checkmate the activities of the hoodlums encountered the criminal gang at about 2:30am during which an exchange of gun fire ensued.
He added that while the police combed the surrounding bush in the morning, the suspect, Emberga was arrested wearing army camouflage uniform with gunshot injury on his leg.
The commissioner said the suspect later confessed to be a member of a six-man gang that earlier exchanged fire with security personnel, adding that investigation was ongoing to arrest other members of the gang.
The suspect, Aondowase Emberga, also corroborated the police account in an interview with our correspondent, admitting that he was caught after a robbery operation along Makurdi-Lafia road.
Emberga said he was an Okada (commercial motorcycle) rider until the herders’ invasion of his Ukpam village in Guma Local Government Area of the state displaced him and his wife from their home so he joined the gang.
“We had already started robbing motorists on this particular operation before the police came and started shooting at us. I couldn’t run again because of the gun injury I sustained on my leg.
“I didn’t even collect up to N2000 from my victims on that particular operation,” the suspect narrated.