How Gunmen Attacked Police Station, Killed DCO With ‘Native Bullet Proof’ Before Heading For A Bank

Mr. David Onu Itumah, 62, was the Divisional Crime Officer
(DCO) of the Ikere-Ekiti divi­sional police station that was attacked by a gang
of daredevil armed robbers who killed two police officers and three other
civilians, including a 25-year-old female corps member, the late Miss Uguwoke
Oyinyechi Edith that fateful day, November 25.

The Ebonyi State-born Itumah, who hailed from Abakaliki
Local Government Area, was one of the unfortunate police officers killed by the
rampaging robbers when they simultaneously attacked the po­lice station and a
new generation bank in Ikere Ekiti.

Eyewitnesses said the robbers went into Itumah’s office as
if they had planned to make him their target. “He didn’t fall to the robbers’
bullets. They shot him but that didn’t work on him. He didn’t have his rifle
when they stormed his office, he ran into a corner of his office and locked
himself in so that he could have enough time to prepare for them, but the
robbers were too many for him, over five of them must have broken into his
office to grab him. They lifted his feet off the ground and shot him. That was
when the bullet penetrated into his body and finished him”, an eyewitness said.

The anonymous eyewitness said further that the deceased had
just three months to retire from the police force having put in almost 35 years
into the service.

“The man was ill-fated. He just had three months to retire
from the police, it was after they finished him and succeeded in sending off
every other officer that they went for the police armoury in the office and
emptied it”, the eyewitness said.

Another, who also craved anonymity, spoke about the female
police sergeant that was killed while she was making effort to scale the fence
of the police command. He said: “The female police officer that was killed was
popularly known as Iya Joel by everyone in this area. We know her as a very
nice woman, very friendly and good to all.”

Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Taiwo
Lakanu has assured that he would hunt down and bring to justice the gunmen that
attacked the police station and the bank that day.

Narrating the reports he got about the rob­bery incident,
the CP’s spokesman, ASP Vic­tor Babayemi, said: “I can confirm that there was a
simultaneous attack on the police sta­tion and the bank office by a group of
armed robbers numbering between 35 and 40, ac­cording to eyewitnesses. It was a
spontane­ous attack and our men responded and there was gun exchange, some of
the robbers were fatally shot regrettably and unfortunately, we lost two of our
men, a female sergeant and an officer whose identities we don’t want to
disclose now because we haven’t formally informed their families.

“The two police personnel didn’t die im­mediately, they were
rushed to the hospital but they died in the hospital. Also, a female corps
member who was using the ATM in the bank was also shot dead. Our armoury was
not attacked, it is intact.

“Although, the robbers later escaped into the bush, some of
them were fatally shot and adequate personnel have been mobilized to be on
their trail as we speak.”

The Sun