Ado-Ekiti-An unidentified policeman was on Monday reportedly killed by a gang of armed robbers in Ado-Ekiti while on hot pursuit of the robbers who had terrorised a business premises and fled the scene.
The bandits, according to an eyewitness, had earlier robbed a petrol station along Fajuyi-Secretariat Road and were escaping through the old Iyin-Ilawe Road when the Police officer in a white Hilux van sighted them and pursued them.
The source said the police van trailed the bandits up to NTA junction, where the bandits were said to have waited and blocked the way in readiness for a gun duel "When the Hilux chased them up to that point, the armed robbers used their vehicle to block the way and rained bullets on the car."The bullets hit the driver of the vehicle and he died on the spot, after which the robbers entered their car and sped off.
Workers coming to the Ekiti State House of Assembly and the State Secretariat and motorists going to Ilawe Road were said to have scampered for safety.
Police officers from the State Police Command later visited the scene to evacuate the corpse that was deposited in the morgue of the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital.
When contacted the police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti Command, DSP Caleb Ikechukwu, said: "The attack on the police officer could have been a reaction of criminal elements to the cleaning operation being carried out by the command.
"You know that since our new Police Commissioner, Mr Asuquo Amba, came on board, he introduced a Joint Task Force carrying out Operation Make Ekiti Safe and many criminals had either been arrested or killed in the process."The men carrying out the operation are drawn from the Army, Police, Immigration and NSCDC. They were diligent in their duties and this might be one of those ways to frustrate us by the criminals.
The bandits, according to an eyewitness, had earlier robbed a petrol station along Fajuyi-Secretariat Road and were escaping through the old Iyin-Ilawe Road when the Police officer in a white Hilux van sighted them and pursued them.
The source said the police van trailed the bandits up to NTA junction, where the bandits were said to have waited and blocked the way in readiness for a gun duel "When the Hilux chased them up to that point, the armed robbers used their vehicle to block the way and rained bullets on the car."The bullets hit the driver of the vehicle and he died on the spot, after which the robbers entered their car and sped off.
Workers coming to the Ekiti State House of Assembly and the State Secretariat and motorists going to Ilawe Road were said to have scampered for safety.
Police officers from the State Police Command later visited the scene to evacuate the corpse that was deposited in the morgue of the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital.
When contacted the police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti Command, DSP Caleb Ikechukwu, said: "The attack on the police officer could have been a reaction of criminal elements to the cleaning operation being carried out by the command.
"You know that since our new Police Commissioner, Mr Asuquo Amba, came on board, he introduced a Joint Task Force carrying out Operation Make Ekiti Safe and many criminals had either been arrested or killed in the process."The men carrying out the operation are drawn from the Army, Police, Immigration and NSCDC. They were diligent in their duties and this might be one of those ways to frustrate us by the criminals.