Onitsha — THE scourge of armed robbery appeared to be creeping back into the commercial city of Onitsha and environs in Anambra State, as a police inspector and a private guard were last Friday shot dead by suspected bandits.Both were killed when the bandits attempted to rob Harbour Community Bank on the bank of River Niger.

The inspector was attached to Awada Police Station in the city. In Oshogbo, a brave policeman who single-handedly fought a five-man robbery gang, was injured and is presently receiving treatment. Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Mr. Yemi Ajayi, who confirmed the incident, added that the robbers, however, failed in their attempt to rob the bank.

The police spokesman said the inspector who was close to the bank when the gang arrived, was crossing over to Awada when the robbers struck. Mr. Ajayi said at that point, a passing police patrol team which sighted the bandits was attacked by the latter. According to him, in the ensuing exchange of gunfire the robbers' bullets felled the inspector.

He said the robbers had earlier killed the guard at the bank before engaging the police in the shoot-out. "Since they were using a fast moving vehicle we could not know if any of them were killed in the gun battle, but they could not rob," he added. Mr. Ajayi said the robbers could be the same group that later stormed Asaba, the Delta State capital.

"I think it was out of annoyance that they went to Delta," said Ajayi. Meanwhile, reacting to the incident, the Onitsha Police Area Command, Mr. Mike Okougha said his command was ready to confront robbers in Onitsha. He noted that the area where the incident took place does not fall within his command.

In Osogbo, daredevil armed robbers Wednesday carted away huge sums of money in a daylight operation which lasted for about 15 minutes. The bandits numbering five, also wounded a police officer, Mr. Monday Simeon, while the indigenes who were near the scene of the incident fled for their dear lives. Daily Champion gathered that the armed robbers who stormed the old Governor's office area of the town in a Peugeot 306 car, immediately made for the shop of a beer distributor situated besides Pacific Saving and Loans Bank.

They were said to have locked the sales girls on duty in a toilet and proceeded to ranrack the store. A policeman, simply identified as Simeon, who was on duty at the nearby bank was said to have fired shots at the armed robbers maiming two of them, while the robbers who returned the shots, later bolted with their loot dragging their wounded colleagues along.

The policeman who was wounded in the gun battle with the robbers is said to be responding to treatment at a undisclosed hospital. Police spokesman Mr. Oluwole Ayodeji, who confirmed the incident, said it was the intervention of the wounded police officer that prevented the robbers from raiding the bank and another firm in the area. "The police officer succeeded in maiming two of the five of the armed robbers, though they left with the injured ones. The wounded police officer is responding to treatment in an hospital within the state," he said.