OLEH—Unknown gunmen yesterday shot dead a 48-year-old man, Mr Sunday Okpeka, at Oleh, headquarters of Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State.
This came at a time men of the state police command shot dead three suspected armed robbers in a gun duel.
It was gathered that the deceased who resides along Emore Road, opposite St. John the Baptist Catholic Church with his family, was until his death was a trader.
Sources said the deceased was shot through the burglary proof of his shop, close to his residence, while trying to close after the day’s sales.
A source who preferred anonymity, said the sound of the gunshot and the crashing sound of the dying man attracted family members, neighbours and security operatives on patrol who were attracted to the scene where the deceased was found lying in a pool of his blood.
Though it could not be ascertained if the assailants were assassins or armed robbers, sources said the gunmen escaped from the area before the arrival of the security operatives.
Efforts to contact the state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Celestina Kalu, on the incident were abortive as she did not answer calls.
Meanwhile, three suspected armed robbers have been shot dead in a gun duel with men of Delta State police command.
Parading the corpses of the deceased suspected armed robbers before newsmen in Asaba, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Alkali Baba Usman, disclosed that the police mobilized to ambush the hoodlums after a tip off that the gang had concluded plans to massively launch attack on business concerns along Apala Road, Warri.
He said the hoodlums, on sighting the police, opened fire, adding that the suspects fell to the superior fire power of the police in the ensuing exchange of fire.
Usman listed items recovered to include two AK47 rifles, 43 rounds of ammunition, and a Vento car with number plate AE 681 BKW.
He said the achievement was part of the command’s resolve to rid the state of hoodlums in the ember months.
Also, two suspected armed robbers who are members of a four-man gang, said to be terrorizing Aladja and its environs in Udu Local Government Area of the state, were paraded by the police commissioner.
According to him, the gang had on October 1, 2015, invaded a land beach owned by one Oluwaseun Adebayo at Aladja, saying they “tied up the night guards and removed parts of the dredgers valued at N2 million.”
