2 robbers killed in gun battle with police, vigilante

A combined team of policemen and vigilantes at the weekend engaged a five-man armed robbery gang in a shootout at Ikorodu area of Lagos.

Two members of the gang were killed in the shootout which witnesses said lasted for an hour.

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It was learnt that detectives, along with the vigilantes had been on the trail of the gang who had been terrorising the area for sometimes.

Two locally-made guns with four live cartridges, one big iron cutter, three chisels, one jack, two scissors, one apple laptop, one catapult, bank ATM cards, three black bags, wrist watches, military camouflage and N460,650 were some of the items recovered from them.

The gang had allegedly invaded a residence located at number 41, Menulo Street, off Iwo-Elepe, in Ikorodu, where they robbed residents of their property.

It was learnt that the robbery incident occurred at about 4.50am on March 29, 2021.

Confirming the incident, the state police public relations officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the corpses of the deceased robbers have been deposited at a public morgue.

He said: “The police operatives in Ikorodu Division and the local security operatives, in a combined operation, on March 29, 2021, at about 4.50am, engaged some suspected armed robbers that were operating in military camouflage at number 41, Menulo Street, off Elepe Ikorodu, in a gun battle and neutralised them.

“After the gun duel, the team assessed the scene and discovered that two of the suspected armed robbers were fatally injured and eventually gave up the ghost. Their corpses have been deposited at a public morgue for further actions.”

The suspected bandits, who usually operate in military camouflage, according to report, had laid siege on the block of flats at the compound, cut the American fence wire and broke into the flats in the compound.