Posted by By Gbenga Faturoti, Correspondent, Osogbo on
The sleepy town of Ile Ife had its own jolt on Monday when about 10 armed robbers attacked four banks and a microfinance institution, killing 10 people, and leaving 40 others injured.
The sleepy town of Ile Ife had its own jolt on Monday when about 10 armed robbers attacked four banks and a microfinance institution, killing 10 people, and leaving 40 others injured.
Police Public Relations Officer, Joshua Olayemi, confirmed the casualties.
The robbers came at about 9 a.m. in a car and a bus and fired gun shots into the air to scare people.
A group raided a bank in the Lagere area, another positioned itself on the road to Ilesa and invaded three other banks.
Youths raised an alarm and mobilised themselves by mounting barricades on all the roads leading to the city.
The combined efforts of anti-riot policemen drafted from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) led to the killing of the driver of the robbers. Two others were arrested.
But other members of the gang went wild and shot any one on sight.
It was learnt that the driver of the robbers who was killed in the exchange of gun fire was the one who had knowledge of the city and its escape routes.
The incident was the worst in Ile Ife in recent times.
A Tuareg bus marked Abuja EZ 284 ABC was recovered from the robbers who reportedly stole huge sums from one of the banks.
Olayemi said the fire power of the police made them to abandon their jeep and bus.
He confirmed that they robbed Intercontinental Bank but police officers closed in on them before they could break into First Bank.
The police team, led by Assistant Commissioner, C. Inyama, and the SARS, headed by Akin Okunola, were still combing the city for the robbers at press time.
Medical personnel at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH) had a hectic time on Monday attending to people with bullet wounds.
OAUTH Public Relations Officer, Olu Bello, confirmed that 40 people were brought in for treatment but that others might have been taken to other hospitals.