Makurdi — The war on violent crimes declared late last year by the Benue State Police Command paid off, Thursday, when the command gunned down three members of a notorious syndicate that specialized in robbing unsuspecting motorists on the ever busy Aliade-Otukpo highway.

Eyewitness told Vanguard that the gang had at the early hours of yesterday barricaded the Aliade-Otukpo road, just a few kilometers from Aliade town.

He said: "The gang rode in a tricycle popularly known as"Keke NAPEP" to the spot where they barricaded the road. Initially, nobody thought they were robbers because they came in a slow moving vehicle.

"But suddenly the young men started pulling out weapons with which they mounted a road block and started robbing unsuspecting motorists.

"As the act went on, the state Commissioner of Police and the Command were contacted and men of the Special Anti Robbery Squad, SARS, stormed the scene and a gun duel ensued.

"It was like a war zone; for few minutes there was confusion in all the villages around the area with people scampering to safety for fear of being hit by stray bullets."

Confirming the story, Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Deputy Suprintendent, Daniel Ezeala said: "After the gun duel, our men arrested three of the robbers who later died of gun shot wounds before medical attention could get to them but we are on the trail of the others."

Ezeala who said various dangerous weapons were recovered from the gang added, that the command had declared an all out war against violent crimes in any part of the state.