A total sum of N34,510,000 million have been recovered from the fleeing armed hoodlums who robbed four commercial banks Thursday at Uromi, Esan North East Local Government Area of Edo State.
During the coordinated commando like operation, the heavily armed hoodlums had dynamited four commercial banks in Uromi, the hometown of Chief Tony Anenih, former chairman Board of Trustees of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), after which they shot their way to the strong rooms and looted all the available cash.
Some brave hearted youths from neighbouring Ubiaja, Esan South East Local Government Area youths were however said to have summoned courage and blocked the Uromi-Ubiaja road by the rail line when the news of the bloody bank hold up filtered in.
The action of the youths in league with the local vigilantes forced the panicking robbers to abandon their loots, which were concealed in the boots of their getaway vehicles off the rail line and flee in motorcycles
The Edo State Police spokesman Mr. Kontongs Bello who confirmed the recovery disclosed that apart from the money, items also recovered from the fleeing robbers included one red Camry car marked EZA 105 KJA, one ash Camry car marked KWL 19 DU, one dark ash Corolla car marked UBJ 734 SZ, one Lexus 330 car marked AAA 973 FL, one red QLink motorcycle marked EZA 105 QN and one red Day Long motorcycle marked ENU 204 QL.
He listed the other items recovered from the bloody robbers, who shot six persons dead, as two small bags containing women items and one Union Bank Automated Teller Machine card.
The Edo Police image maker stated that some policemen in conjunction with local Vigilantes accompanied by Chief John Odijie, the Oniha of Ubiaja and led by local the Divisional Police Officer, acting on a tip off that some vehicles suspected to have been used by armed robbers in Uromi bank robbery operations on the were seen hidden in Oruen Quaters bush, Ubiaja.
He said that on receipt of the information the DPO and his team mobilized his men who during the bank robbery operations blocked all the exit routes from in and out of Uromi town, together with the team immediately mobilize to the location and recovered the said following vehicles and items.
Quoting the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Phillip Ogbadu during a visit to the families of the victims, Kontongs promised that the law enforcement agents will not relent until all those behind the dastardly attack are bought to face the full wrath of the law.