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 the bloody bank robbery in the town.This is as the Special Adviser on Security to Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State, Col. Alex Igbaya (rtd) has assured residents of the state of adequate security measures to forestall a reoccurrence of the deadly multiple bank robbery in Otukpo.
Recall that 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 officers, vigilante members, and a local government councillor, after which they carted away large sums of money from the banks.The command in a statement issued yesterday by its Public Relations Officer, Catherine Anene, disclosed that security personnel who chased the gang successfully intercepted them along the Otukpo-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 read: “On October 20, 2023, at about 4:15 pm, armed robbers invaded Access Bank, First Bank, Zenith Bank, UBA and StanbicIBTC Bank in Otukpo, simultaneously.“The Otukpo Divisional Police Officer, CSP John Adikwu, and other police teams in the area engaged them in a gun duel 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 stabilising the area and prevent these robbers from escaping.
Agbaya, who paid an on-the-spot inspection to places where the incident occurred, particularly the Otukpo Divisional Police Headquarters where four policemen, including the DPO were killed, said the incident was regrettable.He said the state government is taking stock of the killing of security men and ordinary people at the banks.He said security has been beefed up while security men have so far apprehended four of the criminals and two others were killed in a gun exchange.He commended the gallantry of policemen while also sympathising with them for the loss of four of their personnel.He assured that everyone involved in the robbery would be arrested.
