by Akintomiwa Agbaje

An assistant superintendent of police (ASP), Iheme Wilfred, was gunned down by armed robbers who raided a bank outside Ekiti metropolis yesterday.

He was said to have set an ambush for the robbers he believed would go through a certain route in Ijare after robbing a bank at  Ikere- Ekiti when he encountered superior firepower of the armed gunmen making his plan go south and consequently leading to his death.

The Sunday Vanguard reports

Sunday Vanguard gathered that  the robbers, on getting to Ijare Road where the policemen had laid the  ambush, sighted them and opened fire. Sources said that it was in the process that the top police officer was killed.

But another source said that the deceased  and his men actually engaged the robbers in a shoot out for about 20 minutes before they were over powered by the robbers who brandished sophisticated weapons.

It was gathered that immediately the policemen  who accompanied the deceased officer noticed that he had died, they fled into the bush.

Consequently, the men of the underworld allegedly carted away their arms and ammunitions.

The robbers who, it was learnt, stole an unspecified amount of money from the commercial bank they robbed in Ikere Ekiti eventually got away through Ijare Road.

Ondo State police authorities confirmed the death of the DCO. The police image maker in the state, Wole Ogodo, described the killing of the ASP as unfortunate.

Ogodo  said men of the State Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) were investigating the incident.