By Kelechi Esogwa-Amadi
Residents of Mile 3, Diobu area of Port Harcourt, were forced to keep vigil in the night of Thursday, 10th May 2018 as armed robbers invaded the area at that period.
According to sources, the armed robbers stormed Mile 3, along Ikwerre Road axis with sophisticated guns suspected to be AK 47 rifles with which they allegedly shot sporadically throughout the period of their operation.
But for the quick intervention of the police, the armed robbers could have left many casualties in their trail, sources claim.
According to the sources, a team of policemen confronted the armed robbers and engaged them in a shootout for hours, resulting in a hot exchange of fire that allegedly left about two policemen dead.
The sources could not ascertain if any of the armed robbers were killed during the gun battle with the police, though unconfirmed rumours were rife that three of the armed robbers were gunned down by the gallant policemen.
A resident in the area, who simply identified himself as Marcus, told TPCN that they did not sleep throughout the period of the operation due to the heavy exchange of fire between the police and the armed robbers.
“Yesterday night was terrible. We could not sleep. The armed robbers came to disturb this area but thank God that the police intervened on time. The gunshot sounds from the exchange of fire between the robbers and the police did not allow us to sleep. Everybody was afraid,” he said.
A trader who sells sports wears near Mile 3 Park told TPCN that they had already closed and left before the armed robbers attacked the area, adding that he heard it this Friday morning when they came to do their business.
He said that traders will now closer earlier every day to avoid witnessing such incidents, adding in pidgin English: “My brother, we go dey close early now o. Nobody wants to die. Now that armed robbers have remembered Diobu again, person go dey more careful this time around.”
The DPO of Mile 3 police station, when visited by TPCN, declined comments on the matter and referred TPCN to the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Rivers State Command.
When contacted, the PPRO, Nnamdi Omoni, said he would call back. But as at the time of filing in this report, he was yet to call back.
