The Nigeria Police Force, Benue State Command has confirmed that one Divisional Police Officer, three officers and many civilians were killed in Friday’s gun battle with the bank robbers.
Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Sewuese Anene, disclosed this on Saturday.
He identified the Divisional Police Officer as John Adikwu.
Anene, in a press statement, said that two of the bank robbers were killed during the gun battle with a team of security reinforcement along the Otukpo/Taraku Federal Highway with many of them scampering into the forest.
He further noted that the police are currently on the heels of the suspects with a view to apprehend them.
It was reported that ten people were killed in a bank robbery in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State on Friday.
The dare-devil robbers operated for two hours without being challenged by security operatives.
According to sources in Otukpo, the robbers came in numbers and attacked five commercial banks, most of which are located opposite the Divisional Police Headquarters.
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.
The Governor sympathized with the families of those who were gruesomely murdered by the robbers during the robbery.
