Ekit Bank Robbery- How Police DCO was eventually killed after failing to fall to robbers bullets

Mr. David Onu Itumah, 62, was the Divisional Crime Officer (DCO) of the Ikere-Ekiti divi­sional police station that was attacked by a gang of daredevil armed robbers who killed two police officers and three other civilians, including a 25-year-old female corps member, the late Miss Uguwoke Oyinyechi Edith that fateful day, November 25.

According to the Sun, The Ebonyi State-born Itumah, was one of the unfortunate police officers killed by the rampaging robbers when they simultaneously attacked the po­lice station and a new generation bank in Ikere Ekiti.

Eyewitnesses said the robbers went into Itumah’s office as if they had planned to make him their target. 

“He didn’t fall to the robbers’ bullets. They shot him but that didn’t work on him. He didn’t have his rifle when they stormed his office, he ran into a corner of his office and locked himself in so that he could have enough time to prepare for them, but the robbers were too many for him, over five of them must have broken into his office to grab him. 

They lifted his feet off the ground and shot him. That was when the bullet penetrated into his body and finished him”.“The man was ill-fated. He just had three months to retire from the police, it was after they finished him and succeeded in sending off every other officer that they went for the police armoury in the office and emptied it”, the eyewitness said.

 Another, who also craved anonymity, spoke about the female police sergeant that was killed while she was making effort to scale the fence of the police command. He said:

“The female police officer that was killed was popularly known as Iya Joel by everyone in this area. We know her as a very nice woman, very friendly and good to all.”

Those who murdered poor Itumah didn’t know that they have tampered with the lives of seven of his children, five girls and two boys, four of whom are already in institutions of higher learning while the younger two are in secondary school. The deceased was solely shouldering the responsibility of these children, including their mum, a petty trader.

Narrating the reports he got about the rob­bery incident, the CP’s spokesman, ASP Vic­tor Babayemi, said: 

“I can confirm that there was a simultaneous attack on the police sta­tion and the bank office by a group of armed robbers numbering between 35 and 40, ac­cording to eyewitnesses. It was a spontane­ous attack and our men responded and there was gun exchange, some of the robbers were fatally shot regrettably and unfortunately, we lost two of our men, a female sergeant and an officer whose identities we don’t want to disclose now because we haven’t formally informed their families.

“The two police personnel didn’t die im­mediately, they were rushed to the hospital but they died in the hospital. Also, a female corps member who was using the ATM in the bank was also shot dead. Our armoury was not attacked, it is intact.

“Although, the robbers later escaped into the bush, some of them were fatally shot and adequate personnel have been mobilized to be on their trail as we speak.