BY GBENGA ARIYIBI
ADO EKITI – A police officer (names withheld) is now in police net in Ekiti State Police Command, Ado Ekiti, for his alleged involvement in a robbery which took place at Ikere Ekiti last week.

Sources at the scene of the incident told Vanguard that the five -man robbery gang was led by  an Assistant Superintendent of Police, ASP, had robbed commuters along Ikere-Ise Ekiti road on that fateful day.

To cover up their identities, it was gathered that the robbers  led by the police officer, dressed in mufti and mounted a barricade on the road.

The involvement of the police in the criminal act came on the heels of the killing of 400-level Business Administration student of EkitiStateUniversity who was   allegedly killed by the police  in Oye Ekiti  under the pretence that he was involved in the robbery  at one of the first generation banks in the town

During the 45 minutes operation,the robbers were said to have blocked the Ise-Ikere Road , with the aid of AK 47 rifle shooting sporadically into the air and dispossessed  commuters  of their valuable

effects like Phones, money and  bags Until they were apprehended by the police

The robbery incidence coincided with last week violence that  broke out   between Ikere Ekiti and Akure wings of the National Union of Road Transport Workers  (NURTW) which led to the death of one person.

Vanguard gathered the lid was taken off the matter when the Police Officer’s phones had dropped  from his pocket at the robbery scene while fleeing when policemen on duty   were on their trail.

Upon sighting police, the  robbers were said to have   fled into the bush in  different directions to prevent being nabbed by the police

Vanguard further gathered that when the police got to the scene of the robbery incidence,they decided to picked various types of exhibits including the telephone of the affected police officer

Shortly after the recovery of the exhibits,one of the  robbers were said to have called to enquire whether the officer had escaped  unhurt.

According to the source, “When the police discovered the phone, they picked it up as part of their exhibits. But shortly after that, one of the robbers was said to have called and enquired whether he escaped and he was said to have replied that he actually escaped”.

After an intensive and thorough investigation, the Police were able to identified the owner of the phone and it was discovered that the police officer was found to be the owner of the telephone

After the preliminary police investigation,Ekiti State Police boss, Mr Sotonye Wakama,  was said to be too enraged by his conduct and  ordered that the officer be put in  orderly room trial otherwise called detention

The state   Police boss who reacted through telephone,however, confirmed the incident

Wakama who was unable to disclose the name of the affected officer,added that the offending police officer   is already in police detention at the Command’s headquarters in Ado Ekiti.

His words “The officer did not involve in robbery but his number was on the armed robber’s telephone number that was abandoned at a robbery scene  and we want to ascertain whether he is in contact

with the or not ”.

When asked to disclose the rank of the officer,  the police officer said, “ I can’t  give the details of the officer now  because I am not in the office.