There was tension in the Port Harcourt metropolis of Rivers State on Monday, when the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Intelligence Team engaged a four-man armed robbery gang on a face to face gun battle, killing three.
According to an eyewitness at the scene of the incident, at the UTC junction, the police trailed the suspects from Borokiri axis and intercepted them at the junction when they could not move further due to the electronic traffic light.
Confirming the incident on Monday, the State Police Public Relations Officer, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Nnamdi Omoni said the IGP intelligence team intercepted the suspects on intelligence information.
Omoni further confirmed that three of the suspects were killed at the gun battle while one was arrested, who on interrogation allegedly confessed that they were on mission to Arik Airline and said to have killed a police corporal last year during the All Progressives Congress rally in Okirika.
He said: “Today, November 28, 2016, the IGP intelligence response team, working on credible intelligence intercepted these gang of armed robbers who were heading to Arik Airline. They have made plans to attack the passengers and anybody who will repel them.
“The IGP team intercepted them and on sighting the police, the suspects opened fire on them and then there was serious exchange of gun fire at the end of which three of them were killed and one was arrested. He has also given useful information to the police.
“The arrested suspect who gave his name as Peter James, 30-year-old and a native of Bayelsa State has confessed to having killed a police officer, one Corporal Ifeanyi Ify at an APC rally in Okirika sometime last year. He is helping us now with our investigation.”
The PPRO stressed that the Commissioner of Police, Francis Mobolaji Odesanya is prepared to fight criminals in the State to its minimal level.
He also disclosed that some police officers sustained injuries at the shot our and are responding to treatment.
Items recovered from the suspects include, one GPMG rifle with 1,000 rounds of ammunition, one AK47 rifle and two fully loaded magazines