I Ran For Cover When Offa Robbers Attacked Police Station -Ex-DPO

It is probably the confession of the decade coming from a former Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Offa police station in Kwara state Adamu Danjuma.

The ex-cop was frank enough to admit the human side of him on Monday recalling that rather dark side of his service period.

He was particularly recalling the day daredevil armed robbers on April 5, 2018 killed nine police officers and eight others in cold blood in the town.

Mr. Danjuma, who was the station’s DPO then told the Nation that he narrowly escaped the robbers’ bullets in the onslaught that saw five banks and Offa police post attacked by the robbers.

The suspects Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salahudeen Azeez and Niyi Ogundiran were present in the High Court in Ilorin on Monday, where the ex-DPO gave  evidence.

Danjuma said the robbers destroyed the police armoury and carted away 21 AK47 rifles.

Giving evidence, Danjuma who is the fifth prosecution witness (PW5), said the robbers used explosive to attack the banks and the police post.

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He gave the names of the police officers and men that were gunned down by the suspected robbers as Julius Pelemo (ASP), Yusuf Danjuma (Inspector), Grace Makinde (Inspector) and Oke Kayode (Inspector).

Others are Sergeants Mustapha Kolawole, Bilikisu Babawale, Abimbola Adedokun, Yootum Nakoma and Monday Isa.

He said, “On the said date at about 4:45pm I heard a gunshot from the direction of Captain Cook Eatery Junction in the town; two minutes interval I heard sporadic shootings from that direction heading towards my police station. Immediately, I came out of my office to the charge room (counter). The shootings were approaching the station.

“In response I also fired gunshots into the air from my pistol. As a result there was temporary stoppage of shootings from outside. Suddenly, the shootings started coming in from different directions towards the station. A lady who was manning the pedestrian gate was shot in the arm making her to abandon the place and ran for her dear life. The shootings continued.

“Thereafter, the robbers released explosive into the security tower of the station. Another explosive was released and it hit the main road. This melee disorganised the whole station. Then the ammunition in my pistol got exhausted. This made me run for cover at the back of the station’s mosque.

“At the back of the mosque I sighted three of the armed robbers chasing ASP Julius Pelemo to the back of the station’s fence. Then I heard the shout of the late Julius after a gunshot.

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“Then I heard one of the robbers calling those ones that ran after the late ASP to come over to the charge room (counter). One of them entered the Surveillance Office and shot dead a police woman. From them two of them ran to the charge room (counter).

“I now changed my position to the toilet near the back of the fence.

Hearing of the case continues.