Senior Nigeria police officer killed in a gun battle with hoodlums – Saharareporters

The Nigerian Police Force said Divisional Command Officer, Iheme Wilfred, was killed Sunday 15-12-2013 following a gunfight with 12-armed men in Ondo State.

Officer Wilfred was leading a patrol team on the Ijare-Akure road when he received a distress call that armed men were using the route after robbing a bank in Ikare , NPF spokesperson, Wole Ogodo, told SaharaReporters.

Officer Wilfred went after the men. A thirty-minute gunfight ensued with the men overpowering the police, leaving Officer Wilfred dead.

“It’s unfortunate we lost one of our dynamic Senior Police Officers in this incident,” Ogodo said. “Wilfred served the command diligently for many years.”

A police source told SaharaReporters earlier that some junior police officers had abandoned Officer Wilfred, “We wouldn’t have lost him if those officers stayed behind and fired at the robbers together. We learned our boys ran into the bush when they saw the robbers, leaving only the DCO to face them alone.”

SaharaReporters asked if the robbers had carried away arms and ammunition from the scene of the gunfight. Ogodo said, “The truth is when the armed robbers discovered they had shot and killed the police officer they quickly flew the scene for fear of reinforcement from the command.”

Officer Wilfred’s remains are being held at State Specialist Hospital morgue in Akure.
The 12 robbers are said to have killed two other people, including a commercial motorist in Ikare.

NPF spokesperson Ogodo said the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) has begun an investigation, and promises the robbers will soon be arrested.