HOW WE MOBILIZED AGAINST EDO BANK ROBBERS ...VIGILANTE GROUP

Members of vigilance groups in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State yesterday, arrested two more suspected armed robbers who allegedly participated in the deadly armed robbery attack in Igarra, headquarters of the local government on Tuesday.
Six persons including two policemen, a member of one of the vigilance groups and three others, were killed during the deadly attack.
The arrest of the two suspected robbers yesterday resurrected calls for community policing in discussions across the state.
The two suspects had gunshot injuries, one on the head and the other in his leg.
According to one of the leaders of the vigilance groups who did not want his name in print, members were mobilised from the Ojirami, Ojah axis when it was learnt the robbers had taken over Igarra and those in the areas immediately contacted their counterparts in Ososo, Makeke, Lampese and environs.
He explained that the vigilance members were directed to barricade the Ekpedo-Ekpe axis of the road with tyres, stones, logs and other obstacles across 30 to 50 metres which slowed down the movement of the robbers.
“We swung into action to give support because they had already disorganised security in Igarra. So, we had to quickly call our members in Ojirami and Ojah who then called others because we suspected they would pass through that axis. The robbers shot and deflated the vehicle of the DPO in which police was pursuing them after the police have shot dead one of them.
“We mounted barricade near Ekpedo to slow down their movement. We did that with stones, tyres, logs and any hard object we could find. We mounted this barricades about 50 metres distance, so it really slowed them down. And that disorganised the robbers who escaped into the bush with some guns and abandoned other weapons and cash. The one that was caught on Tuesday night whistled, apparently to contact any of his fellow who he felt may be in hiding, and a member of the vigilance group responded and that lured the suspect out.
“The two that were arrested yesterday in a forest near Makeke with gunshot wounds had wanted to disguise as farmers and come out of the forest but they could not because they were not able to change their clothings. We suspect ed they are from Okenne in Kogi state because they were speaking Igbira,” he said.
He added that all vigilance groups in neighbouring Kogi and Ondo states have been alerted and even military formations around have also been alerted for possible arrests, saying that he believed many of the robbers would still be hiding in forests in that area.