The Benue State Police Command has confirmed that the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, in charge of Otukpo, Chief Superintendent, CSP, John Adikwu and three other police officers lost their lives in bloody Friday afternoon bank robbery in Otukpo town.
Heavily armed men in two Hilux vans and a car stormed commercial banks in the town with explosives and sophisticated weapons, killing several persons including police personnel, vigilante members and a Local Government Councillor and carted away large sums of money from the banks.
The Command in statement issued weekend by its Public Relations Officer, SP Catherine Anene disclosed that security personnel who chased after the gang, successfully intercepted them along the Otupko-Taraku road where they abandoned their vehicles and escaped into the forest after two of them were gunned down in the gun battle that ensued.
The statement reads: “On October 20, 2023 at about 4:15pm, armed robbers invaded Access bank, First bank, Zenith bank, UBA and Stanbic bank in Otukpo simultaneously.
“The Otukpo Divisional Police Officer, CSP. John Adikwu and other Police teams in the area engage them in a gun dwell but were unable to prevent their attack on the banks.
“More Police teams in collaboration with other security agents were deployed to Otukpo to assist in stabilizing the area and prevent these robbers from escaping.
“The robbers who were intercepted along Otukpo-Taraku road engaged officers in a gun duel and two of the robbers died in the process. Other gang members abandoned their vehicles and escaped into the forest area and are being chased by the police.
“The DPO who sustained a gunshot injury on his stomach and three other police officers have been confirmed dead at the hospital. Other persons who sustained injuries in the bank have been moved to the hospital for treatment. Investigation is ongoing at the moment”.
Meanwhile, the governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has condemned the armed robbery attacks.
According to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Alia, Tersoo Kulo, the governor described the robbery incident as an affront on the state; especially that it took place at the exact time the Security Council meeting was in progress in Government House Makurdi.
