The Police Command in Akwa Ibom State has confirmed the killing of six suspected armed robbers who specialized in car snatching in Akwa Ibom and Cross River States.
The Akwa Ibom State Commissioner of Police, Amiengheme Andrew, disclosed this while displaying the remains of the suspects in a Police Hilux van, at Ikot Akpan-Abia in Uyo on Friday.
He said the police, acting on credible intelligence, killed the six suspected armed robbers who were operating along the Itu/Calabar Highway.
Andrew said, “Today (Friday), at about 5.30 a.m., acting on credible intelligence that a six-man armed robbery gang whose specialty is car snatching in Akwa Ibom and Cross River were operating along Itu-Calabar highway.
“On receipt of the intel, SARS operatives proceeded to the scene, on sighting the Police Hilux van, the hoodlums opened fire on the operatives. A gun battle ensued and the six armed robbers sustained gunshot wounds.
“They were taken to the Police hospital in Uyo for treatment but they were confirmed dead by the doctor.”
Andrew explained that the robbers were on their way to Abia State to sell the car they had earlier snatched from a Calabar-based medical doctor.
He said the deceased had already contacted a buyer for the stolen Toyota Camry car, registered LSR 690 BM, and an unregistered motorcycle.
Andrew said items recovered from them included three locally made pistols, ten live cartridges, four expended cartridges, one pump action gun, one unregistered motorcycle, a military camouflage cap, and a Toyota Camry belonging to the medical doctor.
The CP warned hoodlums engaged in cultism, armed robbery, rape, and other vices to desist forthwith or leave the state, as the command had no room for tolerance of any form of criminality.