Dismissed DSS officer turned robber, nine others nabbed over bullion van robbery

A dismissed officer from Department of State Services (DSS), Prosper Israel, has been busted for allegedly attacking and robbing a bank’s bullion van in Abia State with nine others.

The daredevil robbers killed the cash officer of the bank, who accompanied the van, on the spot.

Israel along with his younger brother and eight others have been paraded by the Police at its headquarters in Umuahia, the state capital.

Among items recovered from the suspects is N10.18 million, Police Commissioner Janet Agbede, said on Tuesday.

Other items recovered from them include one General Purpose Machine Gun with 53 rounds of live ammunition, 13 AK47 rifles with 1,749 live ammunition, two improvised explosive dynamite, one cut-to-size double barrel gun with five live cartridges, and 84 AK47 magazines.

Also, a Mercedes Benz mini truck they used in concealing their firearms was retrieved from them.

Persecondnews gathered that the DSS officer was dismissed in 2007 after servicing at Abia Government House, Umuahia.

The ex-DSS officer, his younger brother, Chinwendu Israel, along with the other eight had on the July 26, 2022 attacked a bullion van being escorted by the Police on the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, near Ntigha Juntion in the Isiala Ngwa North area of the state.

The police boss said the arrest of the suspects followed “a careful study of their modus operandi” after which the command set up a special Intelligence technologically-led investigative squad with a clear directive to arrest and recover weapons used by the deadly armed robbery gang.

Other suspects arrested include Adesoji Adeniyi aka ‘Soji’ (male) from Ondo State, resident and arrested in Lagos State, Nnamdi Nwaosu aka ‘Prophet’ from Rivers State, resident and arrested in Imo State, and Nwachukwu Albert aka White (1st Armourer) from Delta State, resident and arrested in Lagos State.

The suspects also include Felix Ajalaja from Ondo State, resident and arrested in Rivers State; Moshood Opeyemi aka Abiola from Osun State, resident and arrested in Rivers State; Matthew Christmas aka Aluwa from Delta State, resident and arrested in Delta State; Azubuike Amaefula aka Zubby from Abia State, resident and arrested in Rivers State, and Monday Samuel aka MD (2nd Armourer) from Delta State, resident and arrested in Ondo State.