Police Nab Zenith Bank Robbery Kingpin One Year After In Rivers State
By Austin Echefu
The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Imo State Police Command on Wednesday, February 21, 2018, arrested the remaining member of the Zenith Bank robbery gang, Mr. Chinonso Gift Onwuegbuchulam aka Ogolo, male, 29 years of age, a native of Obazu Mbieri in Mbaitoli LGA Imo State, who was the kingpin of the armed robbery attack that led to the death of two police officers.
The Commissioner of Police in Imo State, CP Chris Ezike, while addressing the press at the police command in Owerri on Friday reiterated that “everyday is for the thief, one day is for the police”.
CP Ezike said that the suspect (Ogolo) claimed to hold a B.Sc. Hons. Degree in Government and Public Administration from the Imo State University (IMSU) in 2008.
He was arrested in one of his hideouts at Close 7, Mgbuakara Eleparawan, Portharcourt Rivers State, even as he confessed to the crime and further admitted that out of the N2.8m they stole he got N400,000 only.
The Police Commissioner also recalled that the hoodlums who were a gang of four armed robbers on February 22, 2017 trailed a bank customer to the Wethdral Road branch of Zenith Bank in Owerri and unleashed attack within the bank premises.
He also recalled that the hoodlums shot sporadically and exchanged gunfire right inside of the bank with three police officers posted on duty from Mopol 18 Owerri.
The CP added that the Police gunned down one of the armed robbers, who was later identified as Mr. Ikechukwu Okpara, male, by Sgt. Chukwudi Iboko, (F/No.375253); whereas three police men sustained various degrees of injuries and were rushed to the Federal Medical Center, FMC, Owerri, but unfortunately, Sgt. Iboko and Sgt. Sunday Agbo (F/No.390643) died on the 23rd Day of February 2017, from gunshot injuries received during the armed robbery encounter while receiving treatment at the hospital.
According to the CP, the third police officer, Sgt. Otu Attang, survived the attack by the grace of God.
The Commissioner however, expressed delight that he was receiving the Sun Post Humous Nigeria Hero Award for the year 2017 during the weekend by the Sun Publishing Limited publishers on behalf of Sgt. Iboko’s family and on behalf of the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Ibrahim K. Idris.