Mr. David
Onu Itumah, 62,who was the Divisional
Crime Officer (DCO) of the Ikere-Ekiti divisional police station that was
attacked by a gang of armed robbers who killed two police officers and three
other civilians, including a 25-year-old female corps member, the late Miss
Uguwoke Oyinyechi Edith that fateful day, November 25.
The Ebonyi
State-born DCO, who hailed from Abakaliki Local Government Area, was one of the
unfortunate police officers killed by the rampaging robbers when they
simultaneously attacked the police station and a new generation bank in Ikere
Ekiti.
Eyewitnesses
said the robbers went into Itumah’s office as if they had planned to make him
their target. “He didn’t fall to the robbers’ bullets. They shot him but that
didn’t work on him. He didn’t have his rifle when they stormed his office, he
ran into a corner of his office and locked himself in so that he could have
enough time to prepare for them, but the robbers were too many for him, over
five of them must have broken into his office to grab him. They lifted his feet
off the ground and shot him. That was when the bullet penetrated into his body
and finished him”, an eyewitness said.
The anonymous
eyewitness said that the deceased had just three months to retire from the
police force having put in almost 35 years into the service.
“The man was
ill-fated. He just had three months to retire from the police, it was after
they finished him and succeeded in sending off every other officer that they
went for the police armoury in the office and emptied it”, the eyewitness said.
Another
anonymity, spoke about the female police sergeant that was killed while she was
making effort to scale the fence of the police command. He said: “The female
police officer that was killed was popularly known as Iya Joel by everyone in
this area. We know her as a very nice woman, very friendly and good to all.”
Meanwhile,
the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Taiwo Lakanu has assured that he would
hunt down and bring to justice the gunmen that attacked the police station and
the bank that day.
The CP’s spokesman, ASP Victor Babayemi, said:
“I can confirm that there was a simultaneous attack on the police station and
the bank office by a group of armed robbers numbering between 35 and 40, according
to eyewitnesses. It was a spontaneous attack and our men responded and there
was gun exchange, some of the robbers were fatally shot regrettably and
unfortunately, we lost two of our men, a female sergeant and an officer whose
identities we don’t want to disclose now because we haven’t formally informed
their families”.
“The two
police personnel didn’t die immediately, they were rushed to the hospital but
they died in the hospital. Also, a female corps member who was using the ATM in
the bank was also shot dead. Our armoury was not attacked, it is intact.
“Although,
the robbers later escaped into the bush, some of them were fatally shot and
adequate personnel have been mobilized to be on their trail as we speak”.
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