Date: 2018-06-16

The police have arrested five additional suspects in connection with the April 5 Offa bank robberies during which nine policemen and 33 persons were killed.

Our correspondent gathered that the operatives of the Intelligence Response Team headed by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, apprehended the suspects in Kogi, Oyo and Kwara States during the week.

One of those arrested, Saturday PUNCH learnt, is Moses Gowon, 27, an indigene of Benue State whose picture was captured by the closed-circuit television camera at one of the banks.

The arrest of the fresh suspects has brought to 27 the number of individuals in custody for involvement in the multiple robberies.

A source who is privy to the investigation said, "Five more confirmed Offa bank robbers and killers were arrested by the IRT in Kogi, Oyo and Kwara states including one of the kingpins, Moses Gowon, a native of Daodu Village in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.

"All the suspects will be moved to Abuja after investigation is concluded in the South-West."

Punch correspondent had reported exclusively on Thursday that additional suspects had been nabbed in Kwara, Oyo and Kogi states and were assisting the police to track down other accomplices.

A source had disclosed that two AK 47 rifles were also recovered from them.

The source said, "The fresh suspects belonged to the Michael Adikwu gang, the dismissed policeman and ex-convict. He actually led our men to the hideout of the men where they were arrested."

The police had earlier paraded 15 suspects including the alleged kingpins namely; Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salawudeen Azeez and Niyi Ogundiran, who allegedly claimed to have direct connection to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, as his political thugs. The men alleged that they assisted Saraki in rigging elections and hijacking electoral materials at polling centres that he could not win in Kwara State.