Police in Port Harcourt Tuesday October 23, 2012, took the war to a suspected robbery gang before they could attack a bank. At the end of the fireworks, two men in their youths met their untimely death in a gun duel with operatives of the River State police command who stood against their attempt to hit a new generation bank located along Ada-George Road in Port Harcourt. Now, police chiefs in the state capital are talking tough, saying they have acquired new weapons, tactics, communications gadgets and fast cars that can take any gang by surprise.
The men, according to the deputy commissioner in charge of administration, Thomas Etomi, operated in a black Toyota Corolla Car with registration number BGM 897 AG and opened fire on the police when accosted.
He said: “They were four men in the car, two of them were armed, while the others were not. When police suspected their car and stopped them, the two unarmed men took to their heels while the armed men opened fire on the police. In the ensuing gun battle, two of them were fatally wounded and later died on their way to the hospital.”
Etomi noted that the police was not oblivious of the possible wave of crime that accompanies the ember month season but warned potential mischief makers to stay away from Rivers State or face the music.
The police boss further stated that the command has put in place various security measures to tackle the incidence of robbery and other violent crimes that might come up as a result of the festive season. “We are on ground to check crime in the state. I appeal to people of the state to co-operate with security agents because they are everywhere to make sure that things do not go wrong. Our men have been trained on special protection and they are out to do what they were sent to do.”
He vowed that the police will bring back the peace and serenity which Port Harcourt was formerly known for and that any person or group of persons that would stand on the way of peace in the State will be dealt with sternly.
Two AK 47 Riffles and two fully loaded magazines were recovered from the victims.
