Its not all the time that any Nigerian has a good word to say about the men and women of our police force. However events that transpired over the weekend have sent a clear message to mean criminals of the underworld that the police is not their friend. Unless one considers a friend someone who fires you several hot gunshots and then leaves you to cool off in the ocean, after first leaving you no option than to jump from a bridge.
Yet that is exactly the treatment handed out to surviving members of a brutal armed robbery syndicate that terrorized Ajao Estate and parts of Ajah over the past week, even killing in cold blood, Olarenwaju Subair, owner of 04 Hotel in Ajah.
A police source said, “The robbers began their operation around 1am at Ajah but just as they were moving out, they encountered a team of policemen on routine patrol. They opened fire on them and in the ensuing exchange of fire, one policeman was killed in the process and another wounded.
“Immediately, the robbers aborted their mission and drove drown to Ajao Estate. They got to Ajao Estate at about 2am and attacked a major dealer in phones, ipads and other ICT products.
“In the process, a police corporal, attached to the Mobile Police Force was killed. Valuables worth millions of naira were carted away.”
Acting on orders from Commissioner of Police, Umar Manko, SARS operatives set up a roadblock on the Mushin/Ojuelegba road. Unfortunately fo the robbers they were spotted as they tried to make an escape through that vicinity.
In an intense gunfight that reportedly lasted 30 minutes, the robbers were chased from Stadium in Surulere to Eko Bridge.
A source said, “Some of the robbers had been wounded in the car from the gunfight but that didn’t stop them from driving. It wasn’t until the driver of one of their vehicles sustained a gunshot injury to the neck that the vehicles stopped at Eko Bridge.
“Some were already dead in the car. Several more fled their vehicles and jumped over the Eko Bridge into the ocean below. But some of those who jumped must have been wounded, because there was blood on the rails of the bridge.”
Commissioner Mano confirmed the incident. He said, “He said, “Five robbers were killed in the exchange of gunfire with SARS operatives. They had earlier attacked a major phone dealer at Ajao Estate before they were ambushed by SARS operatives along the Mushin/Ojuelegba areas.”