Police in Edo State have disclosed that N34, 510,000 was recovered from fleeing armed robbers who, on Thursday, raided four commercial banks at Uromi, headquarters of Esan Northeast Local Government Area.
The police command, in a press statement titled: “Recovery of Abandoned Vehicles/Other Items Used in Uromi Bank Robbery” revealed that the money was recovered from the abandoned operational vehicles used by the armed robbers at a bush in neighbouring Ubiaja, Esan Southeast LGA.
The statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Bello Kontongs, a Superintendent of Police (SP), noted that when police received the information about the abandoned vehicles and money, the command immediately mobilised its men and, in conjunction with members of the local vigilance and a traditional ruler from Ubiaja, moved to the scene.
The statement said: “On 25/02/2022, at about 0730, operatives of the Edo State Police Command, in conjunction with local vigilance members, accompanied by Chief John Odijie, the Oniha of Ubiaja, led by the DPO, Ubiaja, acting on credible information that some vehicles suspected to have been used by armed robbers in the Uromi bank robbery operations on the 24/02 /2022 were seen hidden in Oruen Quarters bush of Ubiaja in Esan Southeast LGA of Edo State.
“On receipt of the information, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ubiaja mobilised his men who during the bank robbery operations blocked all the exit routes from in and out of Uromi town, together with the team immediately mobilised to the location and recovered the following vehicles and items: One red Camry car with Reg. No. EZA 105 KJA, One ash Camry Car with Reg. No. KWL 19 DU, One Dark Ash Corolla car with Reg. No. UBJ 734 SZ, One Lexus 330 car with Reg. No. AAA 973 FL, One Red Q. Link M/CYCLE With Reg. No. EZA 105 QN, one Red Day Long M/Cycle With Reg. No. ENU 204 QL, two small bags containing women items, one Union Bank ATM card and cash sum thirty four million, five hundred and ten thousand Naira only (N34,510,000.00).”
The Edo Police spokesman also quoted the state’s Commissioner of Police, Phillip Ogbadu, as symphatising with the families of those who lost their lives in the unfortunate incident, while promising not to relent until all the people behind the attacks were brought to face the full wrath of the law.
Meanwhile, Governor Godwin Obaseki, has described the Uromi robbery as well organised, while suing for calm.
Obaseki stated this when he led other top Edo government functionaries for an on-the-spot assessment of the scene of the robbery.
Obaseki, who was represented by his deputy, Philip Shaibu, was accompanied by heads of security agencies and was taken on the assessment of the affected banks by the Area Commander of Uromi Police headquarters, Tarzan Tsav.
– Media Report