ONE KILLED IN POLICE AND ROBBER'S SHOOTOUT

Some suspected robbers on Friday engaged the police in a shootout in the Ijora area of Lagos State, during which one of the suspects was killed, while a policeman and a woman were injured. Source  learnt that the deceased suspect, who was identified as Eneni Nwane, was one of three robbery suspects which had their hideout among the plank houses in the area.

Our correspondent gathered that during the crossfire, a policeman, Corporal Mohammed Abubakar, who is attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Ikeja, which stormed the robbers’ hideout, was shot by the suspected robbers, while a 54-year-old woman, identified simply as Adewumi was also hit. It was learnt that the suspects belonged to a gang notorious for snatching expensive vehicles, as well as robbing residents of the Seven-Up, Ijora. Source gathered that the police had earlier arrested four members of the gang, who were helping the operatives to fish out their accomplices.

One of the suspects, Gbolahan Lawal, reportedly led the police to the Ijora Badia area on Friday when the shootout occurred.

A police source said two of the robbery suspects, who exchanged fire with the police, escaped on water after Nwane was shot.

He said, “It was at about 10pm on Friday. We had already arrested some members of the gang. It was one of these suspects who took us to their hideout in the Ijora Badia area so that we could arrest more suspects. Nwane was one of them.

“The robbers stayed in one of the plank houses in the area. When they suspected police presence, they opened fire on us. We replied, and there was a heavy shootout. In the process, they shot a policeman in the leg and also a woman.

“As the gun battle continued, Nwane was hit.

“We actually arrested him with the bullet wound, but he died later. When the two others saw this, they fled.”

Our correspondent gathered that the police recovered four stolen cars, two AK-47 rifle magazines, several live and expended ammunition from the gang.

A locally-made pistol was also recovered.

Lawal, 26, who hails from Ibadan, Oyo State, told our correspondent that he had gone with the gang on five operations before he was arrested.

He said, “One of the cars we snatched was a Toyota Camry, and we snatched it in the Bariga area of Lagos. We had four guns which we normally used for operations.

“We have gone on about five robbery operations. When the police arrested four of us, the others escaped at that time.”

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Kenneth Nwosu, said he would get back to our correspondent on the matter.

He, however, had yet to do so as of press time.