SP Catherine Anene, the Spokesperson of the Benue State Police Command, is mourning the demise of Otukpo Divisional Police Officer, CSP. John Adikwu, who was shot dead during the bank robbery on Friday in Benue.
The PPRO in a post on X, vowed that the killer armed robbers will pay.
“We fight harder when we cry. It won’t be over till it’s over . Rest on SP Adikwu. Your killers will pay. You told me you want to fight crime in your hometown,” she wrote.
The spokesperson confirmed that the robbers also killed three other police officers and robbed five banks simultaneously.
“On 20/10/2023 at about 1615hrs, armed robbers invaded Access, First, Zenith, UBA and Stanbic bank Otukpo simultaneously,” she said.
“The Otukpo Divisional Police Officer, CSP. John Adikwu and other Police teams in the area engaged them in a gun dwell but were unable to prevent their attack on the banks.
“More police teams in collaboration with other security agents have been deployed to Otukpo to assist in stabilising the area and prevent these robbers from escaping.
“The robbers who were intercepted along Otukpo-Taraku road engaged officers in a gun duel and two of the robbers died in the process. Other gang members abandoned their vehicles and escaped into the forest area and are been chased by the police.
“The DPO who sustained a gunshot injury on his stomach and three other police officers have been confirmed dead at the hospital. Other persons who sustained injuries in the bank have been moved to the hospital for treatment,” the PPRO explained.
She noted that investigation into the matter had commenced but however silent on the number of civilians killed during the robbery incident
Meanwhile, one of the military personnel who engaged the armed robbers on their escape route confided that security couldn’t do much in engaging the daredevils while the illicit operation went on because of the crowd of innocent people at the scene.
“We waited for them on their escape route and engaged them, they had to abandon their vehicle towards Taraku town. We pursued them into the bush and fell two of them. We apprehended one alive.”
