The search for solutions to  recurring violent crimes in Kwara State assumed  a new dimension as the state police command recently stormed a shrine in a forest at Ogbondoroko area near Ilorin via Afon.

The shrine is believed to be the spiritual operational resort of a dreaded robbery gang that had been terrorising some parts of the state for sometime.

Evidences of a pot containing substances suspected to be a human brain in a pot, black and white pigeons,  some dead  and some still alive, eggs, feathers and carcasses of birds,  other fetish substances and bullets were recovered by the police after their operation.

Many residents of the state had cried out over the rising car snatching, attacks and  assassination and other crimes.  Unknown gunmen had recently assassinated a former Vice Chairman of Kwara State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Dental Association of Nigeria, Dr.  Ariyo Adewunmi.

The Chairman, Nigerian Medical Association, Kwara State chapter, Prof. Mikhail Buhari, penultimate Tuesday during a media briefing by the association raised the alarm that the lives and properties of medical workers in the state were endangered.

He said no less than 10 medical practitioners had lost their vehicles to car-jacking and robbery, either at their places of work or while transiting to and from work.

But the Kwara State Deputy Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Abdul Bube while confirming the rising car snatching in the state, warned people of questionable character to repent or leave the state, saying the command was determined to address crimes and criminalities.

He  also said  the command arrested no fewer than 200 motorcyclists, and recovered about three vehicles and three motorcycles.

Such measures, he noted, included raiding of suspected criminal hideouts such as motor-parks, cannabis smoking or selling joints, alcohol drinking joints and brothels. He added that the command had also intensified motorised patrols, conduct of ‘stop and search’, intelligence gathering and swift response to distress calls.

According to him,  the police had made many raids and operations and recovered the following items: a single barreled gun; a locally made pistol; five live cartridges and one expended cartridge; some quantities of Indian hemp; three motorcycles; one Mazda PMV DX with Registration Number Lagos JJJ 168 BF; an iron cutter; two pairs of black colour hand gloves; army carmouflage jungle hat and suspected criminal charms.

He revealed that the command shot dead two armed robbery suspects who were allegedly involved in car snatching in the state.

The two robbery suspects were members of a gang led by Kareem alias Keke that had reportedly been terrorising the metropolis and had been on the wanted list of the police in connection with many armed robbery cases.

Bube said the police acting on a tip off trailed the suspects to their hideout at Community Secondary School, Ganmo.

According to him, the suspects on sighting the police from Ganmo Division opened  fire on the law enforcement agents.  He stated that after the exchange of fire between the gang and the police, the hoodlums  abandoned their  three operational motorcycles; Jincheng motorcycle with Registration No. OG 297 KEY, Bajaj motorcycle with Registration No. OR 520 AKD and one unregistered Jincheng motorcycle and escaped in the alleged gang leader’s Mazda MPV space bus with Registration No. JJJ 168 BF.

“In the last two weeks, the command has noticed an increase in cases of car snatching within the metro and in response to this unpleasant situation, several security measures had been put in place.

“On Thursday, about 2.10pm, two members of the car snatching syndicate, ‘Vincent and Lastborn’ all males, were trailed by combined team of police officers of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad and Ganmo Division operatives to Milestone Hotel located at Afon Junction where they were to meet with their gang leader.

“However, on sensing danger, the two suspects took to their heels to escape and while they were being pursued by the police operatives who had laid ambush outside the hotel premises, one of them opened fire on the policemen in order to escape and during an exchange of fire with the police operatives they were shot by the police and arrested with bullet wounds.

“A locally made pistol, three live cartridges, one expended cartridge and some suspected criminal charms were recovered from one of the arrested suspects. The two suspects were rushed to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital where they were confirmed dead.”

The DCP also said that the Lagos and Kwara commands collaborated in an operation leading to the recovery of two stolen vehicles; which he claimed, had been released to their owners.

According to him, penultimate Saturday at 9.40pm, some suspected robbers armed with guns and operating in a Toyota Camry car struck at Adabata area of Ilorin where they attacked a victim, Nurudeen Aminu and  snatched away his Honda CRV jeep with Registration Number KWARA BDU 159 AA at gun point.

He claimed that on receiving information, all police patrol teams in the command and the neighbouring state police commands were immediately alerted. He added that the operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery squad in the command later pursued the robbers.

According to him, the suspects on sensing danger, abandoned the stolen vehicle along Surulere area and moved towards Geri-Alimi Round About where they snatched another unregistered Honda Accord car from the owner and escaped towards the expressway.

“The resilient SARS operatives gave the robbers a hot chase to Ogbomosho Expressway where they later abandoned the stolen Honda car and escaped with their operational Toyota car.

“Meanwhile, in view of the information already passed on to Lagos State Police command, the same hoodlums were pursed by a police patrol team in Lagos to a point when they abandoned the Toyota Camry car and escaped.  The two vehicles have been released to their owners,” Bube said.