Some yet-to-be-identified policemen have gunned down a pregnant dog after invading a house in the Olufoam area of Akure, Ondo State.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the cops forced their way into a compound on Samson Ogunleye Street around 7am on Wednesday on the pretext of looking for one of the residents.
It was gathered that the policemen, who were said to be attached to the Anti-Cultism Unit of the command, were confronted by some dogs in the building.
One of our correspondents learnt that one of the cops, who was infuriated by not meeting their target at home, shot at the pregnant dog four times.
One of the residents, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told PUNCH Metro that he was inside the compound with another resident when they heard the policemen forcing their way into the compound.
He said, “Around 7am this morning (Wednesday), my neighbour and I were talking outside when we heard strange voices outside our gate. I called another neighbour, who was outside the compound, and he told me that the police were outside our gate.
“My neighbour and I ran into our various apartments to avoid being harassed by the policemen. We heard the dogs barking at the cops. Whenever the dogs see an intruder in the compound, they alert everyone by barking.
“We heard four gunshots and one of the dogs groaned in pain and the next thing we noticed was that the police personnel left. They didn’t utter any word; we don’t know why they came. The person they were looking for was not even around; I don’t know why they would do such a thing. “We want an explanation and we want justice for the pregnant dog.”
When contacted by one of our correspondents, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Tee-Leo Ikoro, stated that the policemen were on the trail of some robbery suspects.
He said, “There was a robbery attack last night (Tuesday) at a filling station in the area and a petrol attendant was shot dead. Two out of the four robbers were arrested and the police are on the trail of the fleeing suspects.
“The police were there because there was a rumour that two of those robbers ran into an apartment in the compound; they were not there because they were looking for a particular person, but if the dogs wanted to attack them, they wouldn’t allow that. Let the residents report the conduct of the cops to the nearest police station and we will look into it. Any policeman, who does not act the way he should, will be held liable for that.”
Meanwhile, the command has arrested two robbery suspects for allegedly killing a filling station attendant identified as Bolakale on Tuesday.
The suspects, who were identified as Emmanuel James and Wisdom Richard, and other members of the robbery gang stormed the Farbas filling station, located in the Alagbaka area of Akure, and shot dead the deceased, while another attendant, identified as Kazeem, was also shot in the leg by the bandits.
Ikoro said the suspects were arrested shortly after they committed the crime.
He said the suspected robbers engaged the police in a gun duel before two of them were apprehended.
“For long, there hasn’t been such attacks in Ondo State; that is to tell you that the rate of crime in the state is minimal; with this occurrence, our men immediately swung into action and arrested two of the hoodlums. We are still after the fleeing robbers,” Ikoro stated.
He said the injured victim was receiving treatment in a hospital, while the remains of the deceased had been deposited in the morgue of the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital, Akure.
The PPRO added that some items were recovered from the suspected robbers, including guns, cartridges, mobile phones and charms.
Source: The Punch