BENIN CITY—IT was a black Wednessday for the Nigerian Police Force as SIX policemen met their untimely deaths in two separate incidents as bandits went on the rampage in Benin City, Edo state


The first incident occurred at about 5.30 a.m. along the Benin-Lagos road, with two policemen shot dead while two others sustained gunshot injuries in a gun battle with armed robbers.
The robbers who were said to be armed with AK-47 rifles also escaped with gunshot injuries, but it was learnt that the policemen who were on patrol could not withstand the firepower of the armed robbers when they attacked the patrol van.


Robbers attack bullion van, kill 4 cops [/i]

Later in the day, four police officers attached to the Ikpoba Hill Police Station were shot dead when armed robbers attacked a bullion van along Ugoneki, Benin-Asaba road, Benin City. Their rifles were also taken away by the dare-devil robbers

It was learnt that the officers who were escorting a bullion van ran into the robbers who attacked the bullion van with three vehicles, armed with sophisticated weapons armed to the teeth

ASP Ebi Orubiri, the Zone 5 image maker confirmed the story, saying that the robbers laid an ambush for the policemen but said he was not sure if they were escorting a bullion van.

His words: [i]“The DPO Ikpoba Hill Police Station was killed, the DCO too and two other members of the team. It was another case of a distress call, but the robbers laid an ambush for them. We are in a mourning mood; we know that it is a syndicate. We must get them. They are trying to get rifles to carry out other operations but no matter what they do, we must get them.

“Our men are on the red alert in Edo now and we are advising everybody to be careful. Some people are on a mission but we must stop them. You will recall that some police officers were shot early this morning. One died while others were hospitalized. This makes it five police officers to be killed in one day. That is sad for us but we must get the killers no matter where they run to,” he asserted.