Jubilation in Imo as police killed most-wanted armed robber

Imo indigenes  jubilation, as Police in Owerri killed 'most-wanted' armed robber, Ihechi Nwankwo, on Sunday. 

According to a report by Punchng, the 27-year-old armed robber, who hailed from Amaumara in the Ezinihitte Mbaise LGA of the state, had been on the wanted list of the command for a long time. 

According to the spokesman for the Imo State Police Command, Andrew Enwerem, Nwankwo had been involved in a series of criminal operations, including robbing a bank customer of N8m at Access Bank at Ahiara Junction on August 8. 

The slain suspect was also said to have robbed one Jovita Enwerem of N650,000 at gunpoint at Ahiara Junction on June 21. He also masterminded a robbery attack on a Chinese expatriate in Owerri in May. 

The expatriate was said to have been dispossessed of his N10m, while his police guard was killed in the criminal operation. 

Enwerem said, "On September 28, the state police command control room was alerted to a robbery attack along Wetheral Road, Owerri. A customer of the Wetheral Road branch of Zenith Bank had gone to the bank to withdraw N50m. 

On their way, along Wetheral Road, they were confronted by a daredevil armed robbery gang operating with a grey colour Toyota Corolla that blocked the convoy and immediately opened fire on the police escorts." 

Enwerem stated that the robbers engaged the cops in a gun duel but they were overpowered by the police. One of the gang members was gunned down while the others escaped with bullet injuries.

Enwerem said investigation by the command's Special Anti-Robbery Squad operatives revealed that the elder brother of the slain robber, one Chibuike Nwankwo, 42, and Chukwudi Obinwanne, were being held at SARS cell for bank robbery cases.