WorldStage Newsonline– The Federal Government of Nigeria has condemned the Thursday’s robbery attacks in Offa, Kwara, and condoled with the families of victims and residents of the town.
The information is contained on the official tweeter handle of the Presidency, @NGRpresident, posted on Saturday in Abuja noted that a number of persons suspected to have participated in the deadly robbery incident had already been apprehended by the police while extra security personnel had also been deployed to the affected area.
The post read: “”We sympathize with the families of victims, residents of Offa, and the Government & people of Kwara State, on Thursday’s violent robbery attack. @PoliceNG have arrested a number of suspects & deployed extra personnel to the town, to assist in investigations and beef up security.’’
The police in Ilorin, Kwara, had on Saturday said seven suspects linked to the bank robbery had been apprehended while efforts had also been intensified to arrest the remaining members of gang.
Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Mr Lawan Ado, who made this known to newsmen on Saturday, said seven “”operational’’ vehicles abandoned by the robbers while attempting to escape arrest had also been recovered by the police.
Ado announced that 17 persons were killed during the robbery attack.
The armed robbers had on Thursday raided five commercial banks along the Owode Market area of the town where they carted away millions of naira.
“Many, including police officers and bank customers, were killed and others injured in the attack.
GOV AHMED CALLS FOR SYNERGY AMONG SECURITY AGENCIES
Meanwhile, Kwara State Governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed has called for an increased synergy among security agencies in the country especially between the military and police for faster emergency response.
Speaking during a condolence visit by the Hon. Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, at Government House, Ilorin on the armed robbery incident at Offa town, Governor Ahmed said the federal government should promote the synergy nationally.
The Governor re-emphasized the need for community policing saying it leads to information gathering that can help security agencies in carrying out their responsibilities.
He said all hands must be on deck to strengthen the security arrangement in the country in order to give citizens a better secured environment and promised to improve logistic support to security agencies.
The Governor said he will complement the efforts of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) who promised to send an Amoured Personnel Carrier (APC) to Offa with procurement of additional APC that will be located in strategic locations of the state.
Earlier, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said he came on a condolence visit to the state on behalf of the federal government. He said what happened in Offa town shook the entire nation and therefore expressed federal government sympathy to the state government and Offa people as a whole.
Said he: “we are going to learn from our mistakes and factor this into the larger security architecture in a manner that we will have a much more secured state and a much more secured country”.
PLEDGES NEW POLICE STATION IN OFFA
Governor Ahmed has also promised to build a new police station for Offa at a strategic position in the town within the next 45 days.
Speaking during a courtesy visit to the Olofa of Offa, Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi Esuwoye II at his Palace in Offa to commiserate with him and people of Offa over the Thursday, April 5th armed robbery attack that claimed several lives in the town, Alhaji Ahmed said he will do everything within his power to prevent a re-occurrence.
Besides, the Governor promised to facilitate an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) for the community in order to beef up security in Offa and its environs.
Governor Ahmed said he has secured the assurance of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) that the security infrastructure of the town will be rapidly scaled-up.
He said these measures were necessary to forestall incessant attacks on the existing police station each time there was armed robbery attack, assuring that those behind the act will soon be apprehended and brought to justice.
According to him, “those who perpetrated this evil have saddened and inflicted pain on us but they cannot break our spirit. I assure you that those behind this wicked act will soon be apprehended and brought to justice swiftly.
“As always, I stand with you in solidarity and support. I pray for the families of the departed and injured and I salute the valiant police officers who fell on that day. We will do everything within our power to ensure that never again will people of Offa or any part of Kwara State live in fear or experience such tragedy again”.
Earlier, the Olofa of Offa, Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi Esuwoye II, thanked the Governor for the visit and concern. He requested government assistance to prevail on the commercial Banks not to abandon the town due to the incident.
SARAKI DISCUSS LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS WITH IGP
The President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, on Saturday spoke to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Idris Ibrahim, to discuss long-term solutions to protect the lives and property of the people of Offa, following Thursday’s coordinated attack on several establishments.
In a post on his Facebook page and a series of Tweets on his personal handle (@BukolaSaraki), the Senate President stated that he had called the IGP to both condole with him regarding the officers that were lost during Thursday’s incident, as well as discuss the way forward.
He said: “Following my visit to Offa this morning to condole with the traditional ruler and people over Thursday’s attack, I called the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Idris Ibrahim, to commiserate with him on the loss of some of his personnel during the robbery incident.
“The IGP promised that Armored Personnel Carriers will immediately be stationed in strategic parts of Offa and additional police personnel will be deployed. Top investigators will also be sent to Kwara State to help in tracking down the perpetrators.
“I thank the IGP for his prompt response and the anticipated measures aimed at tackling this security menace.
“It is my hope that Thursday’s incident that has left our people in Offa and Kwara State rattled and in grief will never reoccur.”
IGP DEPLOYS THREE MOBILE FORCE UNITS TO KWARA, TARABA
In a follow up to the attacks, the Inspector-General of Police( (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, has ordered the deployment of three units of Police Mobile Force ( PMF), high powered police investigation team and Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) to Kwara.
The Force spokesman, ACP Jimoh Moshood, in a statement in Abuja on Sunday, said anti-robbery equipment and 10 crew members were also deployed to the state.
Moshood said three additional PMF units were also deployed to Taraba to prevent further attacks in Donga and Bali Local Government Areas by gunmen.
He said that the units which had arrived kwara would cover Offa and its environs as well as other vulnerable points in the state.
The spokesman added that the police teams would carry out intelligence gathering and raids on identified criminal and other flash points in the states.
He said that the team deployed to Kwara, working in synergy with the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department in the state had arrested eight suspects connected with the bank robbery.
The force spokesman said the unit deployed to Taraba would cover Donga, Bali, Lau, Gassol, Karim Lamido Local Government Areas and other flash points in the state.
Moshood said that the team had also arrested 12 suspects directly responsible for the recent killings in Donga and Bali Local Government Areas.
He said that items recovered from the suspects were: seven AK 47 rifles, four locally made revolver pistols and 30 rounds of AK 47 ammunition.
Others were seven operational vehicles used by the armed robbers and assailants in the two incidents.
Moshood called on the residents of the states to be calm, support the police and promptly report suspicious acts or persons to the nearest police detachment or station for prompt action.
