Two Inspectors of police Ogunbiyi Ahmed and Odeyemi Ayinla were killed during a bank robbery at Iragbiji community headquarters of Boripe local government area of Osun State on Tuesday, Osun Police Command has confirmed.
The incident came barely a month after gunmen killed one constabulary policeman at Iree, a community that hosts Osun State Polytechnic and a neighbouring community to Iragbiji, which are in the same local government area during another bank invasion.
The Police on Wednesday morning released fact sheets on the last incident, which lasted for about one hour.
The Police Public Relations Officer(PPRO), SP Yemisi Opalola, in a statement, assured its operatives were on the trail of the robbers who escaped after attacking the old generation bank close to the Aragbiji palace.
“The armed robbers numbering about twenty (20) came in commando-like style with about 4 vehicles and simultaneously attacked Iragbiji Divisional Police Headquarters and Wema Bank Iragbiji.
“The robbers invaded the Police Divisional Headquarters and Wema Bank with sporadic shooting and launching of explosive devices in an attempt to disorganize, incapacitate and destabilize the police who were in a fierce gun battle with them while robbing Wema Bank simultaneously.
“As a result, some parts of Divisional Police Headquarters was damaged. The daredevils also shot at a Police Armoured Personnel Carrier tyres with explosive devices. The robbers in a bid to gain entry into the bank blew off its security door with dynamite, ATM was also destroyed but an attempt to break into the bank strong room was foiled.
“It is very unfortunate that in the course of the incident, and during the hot pursuit of the fleeing bandits, two police inspectors namely; Inspector Ogunbiyi Ahmed and Inspector Odeyemi Ayinla respectively, were shot dead.
“The robbers on sighting the policemen comprising police tactical teams with local security outfits who promptly engaged them in a fierce gun duel took to a flight and abandoned their unexploded dynamite and two of their vehicles. The Police, jointly with local security outfits have been combing the bushes in a bid to arrest the robbers, believed to have escaped with multiple injuries.
“The Commissioner of Police CP Olawale Olokode, therefore, enjoins good people of the State to cooperate and collaborate with the Police by giving prompt and useful information to nip in the bud all criminal activities before incidents occur. The CP also appeals to members of the public to inform the Police of any suspected person or persons with gunshot/bullet wounds.”
