BENIN CITY—ARMED bandits suspected to be hired assassins weekend shot dead a United States-based medical practitioner, Dr Charles Ndulue, opposite Benin Central Hospital, Sapele road, Benin City.

Also, a suspected armed robber was shot dead yesterday along Ugbowo Road, after a shootout between the police and a gang of robbers at about 11:45am.

The late Ndulue who, Vanguard learnt, just returned from the United States was driving home after church with a lady suspected to be a house maid and his little son when the dare-devil bandits struck.

The suspected assassins came in a Volkswagen Audi car and eventually escaped with it without any resistance from the security men attached to Sapele road prison, where the incident occurred.

Eye witness account said the bandits who were four in number, shot at the vehicle tyres which halted the movement of the jeep.

It was learnt that they now went for their target, pumped several bullets into him, collected his handsets and a necklace before they disappeared.

The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, in the state, ASP Peter Peter Ogboi, who confirmed the incident, said a crack team of detectives had been assigned to unearth the killers.

“With the caliber of officers handling the case, we will get to the root of the matter. We are only appealing to people who were right there when it happened to come up and give us any information that may help us track the killers,” he said.

Ogboi, who also confirmed the shootout between his men and armed robbers who robbed some persons that went to withdraw money from the bank, said one of the robbers was shot dead while others escaped.

According to him, “the robbery suspects used Okada to trail people going to bank to cash money. So after attacking their victim along Ugbowo, we pursued the robbers and there was a shootout. One was killed, others escaped but we are on their trail. We recovered one AK7 rifle, 30 rounds of live ammunition and fire magazines and over N150,000 they stole from their victim.

“We had earlier warned that the people involved in such activities will soon meet their Waterloo. And we are very optimistic that those who escaped will be arrested soon.”

Narrating his ordeal, the victim, who craved anonymity, said  “while I was in the bank, I heard the cashier telling somebody on the phone that it is First Bank, Ugbowo. And he attended to me in less than ten minutes.”

“But I was shocked when I drove out with children, they trailed me and immediately demanded that I gave them the cash I went to collect. They collected it and ran away. But few minutes later, the police came after them and the one who collected the money from me was killed in the shoot out.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/03/30/gunmen-kill-us-based-doctor-in-benin/

is this the handsome guy on facebook?

eyah and may he RIP

hope its not him sha.

Its about time the federal Govt declares a state of emergency in Edo state and wrest control of that state from Oshiomole.

What the hell is the comrade Governor doing with his huge security vote? If he must know there are more guns in private hands in the delta and it is not necessarily easier to get jobs there with the exit of oil companies. In order words life is not any easier but you dont find murderous gangs operating with so much impunity.

Benin is home to zone5 and 2 military bases. With adequate logistics planning and motivation there can be proper law enforcement. Robbers, kidnappers and killers that have been driven from other states have found home in Benin.And the Governor doesnt seem to be bothered.