Police officers, suspects killed during Benue bank robbery

The police have confirmed the killing of four operatives during Friday’s deadly bank robbery in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State.

A statement by the police spokesperson in Benue State, Sewuese Anene, on Saturday, said the police killed two of the suspects while they were being chased after the fatal bank robbery.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the armed robbers raided four commercial banks on Friday afternoon in Otukpo. They killed and maimed bank customers and passers-by before fleeing the town.

Ms Anene said a combined team of security operatives intercepted the robbers along the Otukpo-Taraku axis of the Makurdi-Otukpo Highway and killed two of them as they raced out of Otukpo.

“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.”

DPO, other cops killed

During the robbery incident, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the Police Area Command in Otukpo, John Adikwu, was shot in the stomach, the police revealed.

“The Otukpo Divisional Police Officer, John Adikwu and other police teams in the area engaged them in a gun duel but were unable to prevent their attack on the banks.

“More police teams in collaboration with other security agents were deployed to Otukpo to assist in stabilizing the area and prevent these robbers from escaping.”

Mr Adikwu’s killing by the armed robbers came months after gunmen murdered another DPO, Mamud Abubakar, along the Naka-Makurdi Highway in January.


Mr Abubakar was the DPO in charge of Gwer-West Local Government Area of Benue State.