Policemen from the Ebonyi State Police Command have shot a suspected armed robber along the Oso Edda-Ivo Highway in the Ivo Local Government Area of the state.
The suspect, Onyekachi Mmerole, 30, who hails from Isiukwuato Local Government Area of Abia State, met his waterloo while he and his gang members were allegedly robbing unsuspecting members of public with a toy gun.
It was gathered that the Mmerole was shot by the cops during the robbery operation on May 31, 2019, while his gang members fled in the bush.
A police source, who pleaded anonymity, told our correspondent on Tuesday that the suspected armed robber and his gang members had been terrorising the area, especially travellers from within and outside Ebonyi State.
The source said, “But on the May 31, 2019, a good citizen of the state alerted the highway police patrol team while the robbery was going on and the police rushed to the scene, met the armed men and exchanged gunfire with them, during which the 30-year-old suspect was shot on his waist and he fell down.
“The policemen retrieved a gun from him only to discover that what he had was a toy gun, while his gang members (some of them really armed) fled through the bush.”
The spokesperson for the Ebonyi State Police Command, Loveth Odah, confirmed the incident.
She stated, “Efforts are in top gear to track down the fleeing members of the gang to ensure that the road is free of bandits.
“During the exchange of fire, police shot one of the armed robbers, Onyekachi Mmerole, aged 30 years, from Isukwuato, Abia State. The bullet hit him on the right waist and he was arrested, while the others fled.
“Items recovered from the scene are one long toy gun that looked like a pump action gun, torch light, assorted charms, N4,400 and a Tecno phone, which belongs to one of the victims of the robbery.”
Odah assured members of the public, especially road users, that the command would not leave any stone unturned to ensure that it got rid of hoodlums on the Oso Edda-Ivo Highway.
