By TONY EDIKE & PETER OKUTU
ENUGU—FIVE members of the 12-man armed robbery gang that snatched a bullion van owned by a first generation bank in Nsukka, last Friday, were killed in a fierce gun battle with security agencies at Ishielu, Ebonyi State, investigations revealed yesterday.

It was also gathered that N62 million of the N68 million being conveyed by the bank from its branch in Nsukka to the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Enugu before it the bandits struck, was recovered by the security agents who pursued the bandits.  N6m was declared missing.

Seven members of the gang who fled into the bush during the gun duel were said to have carted away N6 million, leaving behind N62 million and their weapons.
The weapons recovered by the Police-Army Patrol teams that pursued the armed robbers from Nsukka through Isiuzo Local Government  Area to Ishielu in Ebonyi State included two AK47 rifles, 90 empty AK47 magazines, General Purpose Machine Gun, 600 rounds of submachine gun ammunition and 500 rounds of AK47 ammunition.

Also recovered were two commuter buses, a Sienna Space wagon and a Mercedes V-Booth car believed to have been snatched by the robbers while attempting  to escape with the money.

An officer of Enugu State Police Command, who disclosed, weekend, said the prompt intervention by security operatives in the state, especially the combined Police-Army Patrol teams made the recovery effort a success.

He said: “After the robbery at the Timber Market area of Nsukka during which we lost two of our men (policemen) and one seriously wounded, the Joint patrol teams were alerted and they gave them a hot chase towards Isiuzo local government area and caught up with them within Ishielu area of Ebonyi State. But when the chase became too hot, the Enugu command had to alert Ebonyi State Command to be on the lookout.

“During the exchange of gunfire, five members of the gang were killed while seven others believed to have sustained bullet wounds escaped into the bush with part of the money leaving their weapons behind. As I speak to you, our men are still combing the bush to ensure that the rest are captured.”

Vanguard further learnt that it was the assistance rendered by the Ebonyi State Amoured Personnel Carrier, APC,  that made the defeat of the robbery gang possible as the APC team was able to match them fire for fire in the gun duel that lasted for several hours.

Meanwhile, the prompt response by Enugu State Police Command which led to the recovery of the arms and the snatched money, had been commended by residents of Enugu, who recalled that a major bank robbery in the same university town of Nsukka on July 17, 2009 by the notorious Ngwu egere omu-led gang was foiled in a similar manner.

Some security experts who spoke on the development under condition of anonymity, made a strong case for the urgent provision of Armoured Personnel Carriers for the Enugu State Police Command arguing that with the sophisticated nature of the weapons used by the armed robbers suspected to have imported their arms from the Niger-Delta region, it would be difficult for the police to effectively tackle them without the support of APC.