Posted by By HENRY CHUKWURAH (P.H), PETRUS OBI, (Enugu) and BOLU-OLU ESHO, Ado-Ekiti on
At least seven persons, five of them policemen, were killed when dare devil armed robbers stormed the Enugu end of the Onitsha Enugu Expressway and attacked a bullion van, conveying money to a yet to be identified location.
At least seven persons, five of them policemen, were killed when dare devil armed robbers stormed the Enugu end of the Onitsha Enugu Expressway and attacked a bullion van, conveying money to a yet to be identified location.
The incident which took place at about 11am caused panic along the highway as passersby and road users scampered into the bush for safety.
An eyewitness told Daily Sun that the incident took place at the Umumba area of Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State .
He explained that the robbers, who attacked among other vehicles, could not have access to the money. Apparently in a bid to escape they shot and killed the two policemen escorting the van and set the bullion van on fire.
At Oji River end of the highway, the hoodlums went into a petrol station and requested to have their vehicle filled but when that could not be done they shot and killed one of the attendants.
Reacting to the incident, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Bashir Azeez, who spoke on the phone, confirmed the incident. 'We had something like that today, yes, I confirm it."
On the killing of his men, the commissioner said: 'The story is not a lie, but we have also killed two of them today. You can be sure we are on course, those of them who are still on the run we will catch them before tomorrow."
He, however, noted that his men are still in the field and by the end of the day he will be in a position to give details of the incident.
In Ekiti State, a policeman was on Tuesday shot dead by a gang of armed robbers, who attacked a new generation bank in Ikere-Ekiti, carting away about N5 million.
Investigations showed that the robbers, numbering about seven, stormed the bank in decent attire disguised as customers to beat the security operatives in the bank premises.
Men at the Ikere Divisional Police kept sealed lips as they directed newsmen to the headquarters in Ado-Ekiti for comment.
Efforts to get in touch with the manager of the bank proved abortive as she was said to be indisposed at the time of filing this report.