Dismissed cop declared wanted for Offa robbery lands in police net

Dismissed cop declared wanted for Offa robbery lands in police net

- A dismissed police officer who was part of the Offa robbery on April 5, has been arrested by the Kwara state police command

- The suspect, Michael Adikwu, was said to have been dismissed by the command in 2012 and imprisoned, but found his way out of prison

- He was arrested in connection with the April 5 robbery on Tuesday, May 8

Michael Adikwu, one of the four robbery suspects declared wanted for attacks on banks in Offa, Kwara state, has been arrested by the operatives of the inspector general of police Intelligence Response Team.

Adikwu, who was attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of Kwara state police command, was said to have been dismissed in 2012 by the command for allegedly aiding the escape of some robbery suspects.

It was gathered that he found his way out of prison and formed a robbery gang after being remanded for three years, Punch reports.

Legit.ng notes that the suspect was reportedly arrested on Tuesday, May 8 in a town in Kwara state by the DCP Abba Kyari-led IRT operatives, who acted on a tip-off from members of the public who saw Adikwu’s picture among those declared wanted.

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A senior police officer said: “He (Adikwu) was a SARS operative at the Kwara state police command. He used to fraternise with robbers. There was a robbery that happened in Kwara state about six years ago. The robbers killed somebody and escaped. The police were able to arrest those robbers.

“He collected money from those robbery suspects and released them. Later, the robbers were rearrested and they confessed that he aided their escape. He was arrested, tried in an orderly room trial and dismissed.

“He was charged to court together with the robbery suspects and was in prison for three years. He and some of the robbers were able to manoeuvre their way out of the prison and formed a robbery gang.”

The state police public relations officer, DSP Ajayi Okasanmi, said arrests had been made but he was yet to receive information on Adikwu's arrest.

He said: “What I know is that the IRT team and the command are investigating the matter and have been making arrests. The force PRO will come out with other information at the right time."

Police arrest dismissed cop declared wanted for Offa robbery
Dismissed police officer, Michael Adikwu has been arrested by the Kwara state police command in connection with Offa robbery. (Photo credit: Nigeria Police Force)

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the Nigeria Police Force said it had so far arrested more than 20 principal suspects in connection with the recent bank robbery in Offa, Kwara state.

Armed robbers had attacked five commercial banks in Offa on April 5, during which 17 persons, including policemen and a pregnant woman were killed.

The force spokesman, ACP Jimoh Moshood, in a statement in Abuja on Friday, May 4, said that details of the suspects were released to the public including some exhibits that were recovered from them.

Nigeria News: Offa bank robbery - The untold story (NAIJ EXCLUSIVE) | on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng

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