2 armed robbery suspects killed after gunfight - Police

The Delta Police Command has confirmed the deaths of two armed robbery suspects in Owvian Aladja, Udu Local Government Area (LGA) of the state, following a gun duel with police.

Command spokesperson, DSP Bright Edafe, said in a statement on Monday in Asaba that the two suspects, Gift Famous and Friday Onaibe died from gunshot wounds on last Friday on the way to hospital.

"On 2nd December 2022, the DPO Ovwian Aladja, CSP Aliyu Shaba, acting on a tip off that two members of the dreaded "Momotimi Gang" were sighted in a beer parlour at Opete community in Owvain Aladja, Udu LGA,

mobilized and led a team of police operatives to the scene.

"They found the duo of Gift Famous, a.k.a. "BOBONE," and Edafe Friday Onaibe, a.k.a. "LASLAS 1500," of Enerhen.

"Both suspects had long been on the Command's wanted list for their criminal exploits in Warri and other parts of the state.

"The duo, on sighting the police, fired gunshots at them in a bid to escape, and the police operatives returned fire, and in the ensuing gun duel, both suspects were fatally wounded," Edafe said.

According to him, the two suspects confessed to several robberies on their way to the hospital.

The police image maker said the suspects confessed to the murder of one Douglas Abugu in Ekpan on Aug. 18, 2022.

He said one of them, "Famous," took over the position of quarter chairman from him when he was in prison.

He added that Famous also confessed to the murder of one "small doctor" in the same Ekpan axis on August 22, 2022, and the attempted kidnapping of a man in Ekpan who was shot in a bid to kidnap him.

"However, the two suspects died from their injuries on the way to the hospital." The police have launched a manhunt for the other members of the gang.

"The police recovered two locally made guns from the suspects, one single-barrel pistol and a double-barrel short gun."

"Also recovered are six live cartridges and one round of 7.62 AK-47 ammunition," Edafe said.