The Edo State Police Command on Wednesday paraded one Mr. Etopa Sadiq, suspected to have taken part in last Thursday’s bank robbery in Owo, Ondo State.
correspondents had on March 26 reported that the robbers attacked four commercial banks, killing some persons.
The robbers were also said to have carted away cash, arms and ammunition.
The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Samuel Adegbuyi, who paraded the suspect at the state police headquartres in Benin, explained that the 35-year-old man was arrested after a gun battle with officers of the command, following information that the suspected robbers had fled to Ibilo in the Akoko Edo Local Government Area of the state.
“After the robbery, the hoodlums headed towards Ibilo in Edo State, where operatives of the command intercepted them in a gun battle which made some of them to flee, while Etopa Sadiq was arrested.
“Efforts are on to arrest the fleeing suspects,” Adegbuyi said.
Items said to have been recovered from the scene included seven AK47 riffles, three riot gunners, two SMG guns, two Lar riffles, four TO6 riffles, one Scorpion riffle, one Berretta riffle, Chief Revolver pistol, two pump action guns and one Tasser riffle.
Others were 23 tear gas canisters, a police ID card belonging to one Constable Akomolafe Andrew, a pair of police uniform, three police crash helmets, and a Permanent Voter Card belonging to one Tobi Ojo.
But the suspect, who hails from Kogi State, denied involvement in the robbery, alleging that he was shot by robbers and arrested by policemen on patrol, while on his way to Okene for local treatment.
Sadiq said, “I was shot by armed robbers. As I was riding my motorcycle to pick my family, I heard gunshots and I was shot in the hand.
“Some people rushed me to Adelabu Hospital in Owo and I was told that I had a fractured bone.
“So, I told them that I wanted to visit a native doctor in my town in Okene (Kogi).
“I was later discharged from the hospital. I was on my way to Okene when some policemen on the road stopped me. I opened the wound and told them that I was shot by armed robbers, but they told me to follow them to the police station. So, they brought me here; I’m not an armed robber.”
