Bullets extracted from Agbara cop’s body as police recover gunboats

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BULLETS lodged in the body of Mr. Godwin Edabere, a policeman shot during a recent robbery at Agbara Estate, were removed yesterday at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.

This happened just as police authorities announced they had recovered two gunboats the robbers used in the operation.

Edabere of the mobile unit, commonly referred to as MOPOL, was critically injured when the robbers numbering more than 40 invaded the estate nearly two weeks ago.

He was shot in the back while on duty at Zenith Bank, apparently the primary target of the gang.
Edabere was taken to UCH from Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) on the request of his family for reasons not unconnected with what family spokesman described as frustration at LUTH.
“We got to UCH on Friday, and the reception they gave us brought us so much joy and hope. Godwin spoke for the first time on Saturday since his ordeal. He has started eating. We were told there would be another scanning to determine whether his spine had been affected. It is the result of that we are expecting now”, his uncle, Victor Iyoha said.

The robbers came on their mission by boat through Ilase River, a tributary of Ogun River. The leader of the gang was arrested within days in Sapele, Delta State, at a wedding.
Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, briefing the press yesterday, said his men had recovered two gunboats, four military camouflage, two mobile police uniforms and one mobile phone.
“In the heat of police pursuit, the robbers fleeing in different directions, abandoned the items in one of the recovered boats.”

The police chief said the gunboats the robbers used had developed an engine problem, and sensing trouble they seized boats from fishermen to escape.
“In their bid to escape they attacked some fishermen and took over their canoes. They went away in the canoes. The uniforms of the different security outfits and the phone were found in one of the boats they abandoned.”

Owoseni used the occasion to salute the gallantry of his men who faced the robbers, revealing that in the course of investigations, police discovered that two other gunboats used by the same gang in previous operations had been traced to Ikorodu where they were hiding.

He then went on to speak of the scorecard of his command in the last two weeks in the battle against armed robbery. He said 19 people suspected of robbery were arrested between November 19 and 30, and so were 11 members of what he called cult gangs. Two locally made riffles were recovered from criminals.
“During the period under review, 10 armed robbery suspects died in various shootouts with the police; eight automatic and local guns, 15 different calibre ammunition and two vehicles were recovered.’’

Confident of the battle-readiness of his men, the police commissioner assured Lagosians of a crime-free and peaceful Christmas period.

Source: TheGuardian