Robbers Kill 7 Policemen, 3 Others in Southwestern Nigeria

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, June 30, 2003

Robbers Kill 7 Policemen, 3 Others in Southwestern Nigeria

At least 10 persons including seven police officers have been feared dead in an early morning raid launched by a five-man robbery gang, local newspaper The Guardian reported Sunday.

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At least 10 persons including seven police officers have been feared dead in an early morning raid launched by a five-man robbery gang, local newspaper The Guardian reported Sunday.

The victims were reportedly shot dead on Saturday morning by the armed bandits at Iwo Road end of the Ibadan-Lagos Expressway in Ibadan, the capital of Nigeria's southwestern state of Oyo.

On arrival at the New Gbagi Market at about 9:50 a.m. (0850 GMT), the five robbers immediately shot dead two police officers at their duty post. They then moved to the Iwo Road roundabout and opened fire on three policemen sighted within the roundabout.

During the ensuing melee, three other persons were shot dead bystray bullets.

An eyewitness told reporters that the robbers "operated for about 10 minutes, shooting sporadically into the air while the operation lasted."

After the 10-minute operation at Iwo Road end, the robbers struck again at General Gas area on Iwo-Ibadan road where they killed another two policemen.

The armed bandits later escaped from the city as they moved towards Iwo town, two hours after the operation.

Apparently scared by the development, some police men on duty at the Iwo Road end and other areas in the metropolis quickly abandoned their duty post for fear of attack while others merely removed their uniforms and changed to mufti to avoid being hit by the armed bandits.

According to Oyo State Police Commissioner Kelvin Opoke who confirmed the incident, no arrest has been made and investigationsare underway. "We have made some recoveries," he said.

Crime level has risen in the most populous African country witha population of over 126 million as the national economic situation is worsening in recent years.

To stem the rampant activities of armed robbers, the Nigerian police has launched the "Operation Fire-for-Fire" since the beginning of 2002 across the nation, which has so far killed hundreds of armed robbers and arrested thousands of others.

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