Bizarre: Robbery gang robs, rapes , kills 63 yr-old woman

www.odogwublog.com reports that the Abia State Police Command has paraded a suspected robber, Samuel Okerie , 23, from Lokpaukwu in Umunneochi Local Government Area who it said, was a member of a robbery gang that allegedly robbed, raped and killed a 63- year- old passenger, Mrs. Anthonia Dike.

According to the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Leye Oyebade who paraded the suspect along others today in Umuahia, the incident took place on September 27 along Ofeme axis of the Enugu- Port Harcourt Expressway.

The three man- robbery gang had on the fateful day flagged down the bus where the woman and other passengers were traveling in the night and dispossessed them  of their belongings before taking the victim into the bush where they  shot her in the face after allegedly raping her.

Police said efforts were on to track down other members of the dare- devil gang still on the run.

Later in an interview, the suspect who claimed he was a commercial motorcycle ( Okada) operator resident at Agiriga Road Okigwe, said he only conveyed other members of the gang to the scene for robbery operation.

He said his duty was to convey others for operation, claiming that he was not aware that his other accomplices raped the victim.

He regretted the action but insisted it was other members of the gang still at large that killed the victim and robbed other victims.

The police also paraded a five- man robbery gang who on three occasions, robbed a BET9JA shop at 21 Ogechi Street Aba dispossessing the owner of cash , laptops and other items.

According to the CP, the owner of the shop on police advice, installed some security  cameras which captured the image of two of the suspects during a later raid at the shop.

The suspects - Joseph Umah, Ifeanyi Chukwundukwe, and  Chijioke Godwin ( a notorious criminal on police wanted list ) were later apprehended and had all confessed to the crime.

Another suspect, Ifeanyi Okocha who bought one of the stollen laptops at  a token of N15,000 was also arrested and paraded.

Later in an interview, the prime suspect, Umah , confessed to the crime  but  explained that he resorted to robbery to enable him raise N45,000 needed for a surgery operation on his tummy .

He pleaded for pardon , blaming it on the devil.

The police boss also said his men smashed a car snatching syndicate who snatched a Toyota Highlander jeep along Finbarrs Road Umuahia on October 10.

The robbers later engaged the police in a gun duel along Ikot Ekpene- Umuahia Road following a  hot pursuit.

Police said two out of the three wounded members of the gang later died in the hospital while three others escaped with bullet wounds.

He identified items recovered from them to include: AK47 riffle with two magazines containing 31 rounds of ammunition, revolver pistol, mask, vehicle plate numbers, and another snatched Mercedes Benz parked in their base at Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

The CP who said car snatchers who terrorize Abia residents operate from Akwa Ibom  according to investigations, advised car owners to endeavour to install car trackers in their vehicles  for easy recovery in the eventuality of their being stolen.