A gang of suspected armed robbers have shot dead a lecturer at the University of Benin, Dr. Godwin Omofonwa, in Ugbowo, Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State.
It was gathered that the robbers invaded the residence of the university don, located in Evbuomore quarters, in the early hours of Wednesday.
They were said to have shot Omonfonwa during the raid and dispossessed him and others of their belongings.
However, one of the armed robbers was said to have been killed during a gun duel with policemen while five others reportedly fled.
The Public Relations Officer of the university, Mr. Michael Osasuyi, said that the deceased was the examination officer of the Faculty of Education.
Osasuyi said, “It is a very big blow to the university; the vice-chancellor is a saddened and commiserates with members of the (bereaved) family. We just pray that everybody puts hands together to support the government and the police.
“The police cannot perform magic; they work with information. Anybody who has useful information should be able to give it to the law enforcement agencies so that they can comb the area and restore peace in the state.”
The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Johnson Kokumo, told journalists at a press briefing in Benin that some policemen had been deployed to the area, following a distress call received at about 1:14 am.
Kokumo explained that three mobile phones belonging to the late man and a Nokia phone stolen from one Precious were recovered from the deceased suspect.
He stated, “In the ensuing gun battle, one of the marauders was shot dead while others escaped. Sadly, one Dr. Godwin Omofonwa, a lecturer in the Department of Education, University of Benin, died as a result of gunshot wounds he received from the robbers.
“This particular incident is an isolated case as crime has been on a downward trend since my assumption of office as the commissioner of police, Edo State. The police have been on the trail of this particular group of hoodlums, who have been troubling the vicinity until they met their waterloo.”
The police commissioner said that other items recovered from the robbers include a single-barrel gun, iron cutter, one live and 12 expended cartridges and a torch.
In a related development, Kokumo disclosed that one person had been arrested over the alleged murder of one Priest in Ovia North-East Local Government Area of the state.
He noted that the suspect, one Johnson Igonoyoye, had confessed to the crime.
He also said that two other persons were arrested for allegedly robbing a woman of her Lexus 330 Sports Utility Vehicle and some jewellery.
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