Police, Robbers In Fierce Gun Battle Over Arrest of Wanted Leader

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

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The arrest of a notorious suspected armed robber popularly known as Mito in Lagos led to a fierce gun battle between the police and members of the gang who came on reprisal attack in the Shasha area of Lagos.

P.M.EXPRESS scooped that a police sergeant was brutally attacked and in the state of coma as doctors were battling to save the life of the officer at an undisclosed hospital.

It was gathered that the gang had publicly declared war in the whole of Shasha area, and the traditional ruler (Baale) in the area was not left out.
P.M.EXPRESS learnt that members of the gang stormed the palace of the Baale and destroyed properties worth thousands of Naira after their failed attempt to attack him.

According to the residents, the gang members believed that the Baale was behind the arrest of their members at a black spot called Abule Ibira in Shasha area.

P.M.EXPRESS gathered that trouble started after the arrest of 13 members of the gang for their criminal activities in the area ranging from smoking Indian hemp, drugs, rape cases, suspected kidnapping among others.

It was gathered that the police raided the black spot, arrested the suspects and charged them before a Lagos court.
The suspects are Kingsley Joseph, David Alex, Salau Lasis, Samuel William, Edet Effiong and Samuel Joshua.
Others were Tobi Sonia, Ayeni Olamide, Barry livinus,  Salawudeen Idris, Adewale Adepoju, Adeniji Sherefdeen and Rafiu Adeyemi.

They were granted bail for felony and remanded in prison custody pending when they will perfect their bail condition.

The arrest followed a reprisal attack by the gang who vowed to deal with the police officers as declared by their leaders namely – Mito, Biggy and number one who were said to have gone underground attacking the police.

However, the police who did not take their threat lightly, strategised and arrested Mito which further fuelled the crisis in the area. P.M.EXPRESS scooped that Mito has made confessional statements and revealed where they kept their arms at Abule Ibira area.

It was gathered that the police went to the place but met strong resistance from the gang who had fortified the area with sophisticated weapons, so the police had to retreat to avoid more bloodshed.

The incident has caused serious tension in the area as the residents now live in fear and everyone is on his own to avoid being linked with either parties.

When our correspondent visited the area, the residents confirmed the incident and commended the police for their courage to confront those criminals who had held the residents hostage for several years.

However, efforts to reach the monarch over the incident proved abortive as one of his aides said he went to the police over the incident.
Police sources said that the gang leader, Mito will be transferred to FSARS for further investigation and the arrest of the other members who were still at large.

Meanwhile the traditional ruler of Kingdom, Oba Babatunde Akanbi Ogunronbi has called on the police to perform their duty by ensuring that those causing trouble in the area were arrested and prosecuted to serve as deterrent to others.

P.M.EXPRESS confirmed that Oba Ogunronbi had summoned a security meeting comprising the CDA and other stakeholders in the area, and tasked them to fish out the hoodlums and criminals elements in their areas and hand them over to the police.

The monarch noted that there had to be stringent measures to ensure that any of those on narcotics and the criminals arrested were not released in order not to come back to cause further violence in the area.