Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command have shot dead a suspected armed robber said to have been operating from a refuse dump in the Abule Egba area of the state.
The suspect, identified simply as Blessing, was killed in the early hours of Thursday during a police operation in the Katangua section of the community.
According to police sources, the operation commenced at about 1:30 a.m. following intelligence reports indicating the presence of armed criminals at the site. Upon sighting the operatives, Blessing allegedly opened fire, prompting the police to return fire.
“There was a fierce exchange of gunfire, during which the suspect sustained gunshot wounds. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where a doctor on duty confirmed him dead,” a police source disclosed.
Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, said the operation was linked to the confession of a 43-year-old suspected robber, Yakubu Adeyemi, earlier arrested by the command.
“Based on credible intelligence, our operatives stormed the Katangua refuse dump to apprehend other members of the gang and recover their weapons. On sighting the police, the suspect known as Blessing opened fire, and our officers responded decisively. He was later confirmed dead at Oke Odo General Hospital,” Hundeyin stated.
Items recovered from the scene include one AK-47 rifle with five rounds of ammunition in its breech, a locally made single-barrel pistol, and four live cartridges.
Hundeyin added that the corpse had been deposited at the Mainland Hospital mortuary for autopsy, while efforts were ongoing to apprehend other fleeing gang members.
