Police clamp down on suspected gunmen in Edo riverine community

• Recover arms, ammunition

Operatives of Edo State Police command have burst into criminal hideouts in the Okomu community, where some suspected gunmen terrorising the riverine communities were arrested on Friday.

The police listed recovered items as, two AK 49 rifles, one AK 47 rifle, two locally made revolver single barrel, one locally made single barrel, one locally made double barrel, one locally made cut-to-size barrel, 128 pieces of AA cartridges, 12 pieces of 9mm ammunition, two telephone handsets, two army shirts, 2 high-pressure gas cylinders and a bag of charms.

It would be recalled that on Friday, August 26 at about 1620hrs, the police arrested one Lawrence Yambo and his gang, who have been terrorising the Okomu riverine community in Ovia West Local Government Area of the state.

The deputy PPRO said the success was sequel to the directive of the Edo State Commissioner of Police, CP Abutu Yaro to conduct an intensive raid of the troubled area.

Iwegbu narrated: “Following the CP’s directives, operatives of the Command’s intelligence and rapid response squad, the Command’s crack team and the Marine Police of the command mobilized and swung into action.

“On arrival at the community, the other miscreants terrorizing the community on sighting the operatives took to their heels into Agbede forest in Ovia West Local Government area of Edo state, abandoning their loots.

She added that the team conducted house- a to-house search in a community in the area which led to the recovery of the following items; two AK 49 rifles, one AK 47 rifle, two locally made revolver single barrel, one locally made single barrel, one locally made double barrel, one locally made cut to size barrel, 128 pieces of AA cartridges, 12 pieces of 9mm ammunition, two telephone handsets, two army shirts, 2 high-pressure gas cylinders and a bag of charms.

According to a police spokesperson, the Commissioner of Police applauded the professionalism of his men involved in the onslaught.

CP, while reassuring the public that the command would not rest on its move for zero crime in the state, appealed for continuous collaboration from the good people of the State including security stakeholders in the State.