By Meletus EZE
The police in Ekiti state on Monday confirmed casualties as four persons were reportedly killed during a violent robbery attack on a bank in Ijero-Ekiti in Ijero Local Government Area.
A source said that the robbers invaded the town at about 6 p.m. after workers had closed.
They were said to have first driven to the police station in the town where they wrecked havoc before heading straight to the first generation bank in an ambulance containing a casket loaded with guns.
At the police station, the gunmen were said to have killed two policemen on duty.
Others killed, according to the source, were a security guard at the bank, shot around the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) stand and an aged man who was passing by at the time of the attack.
The robbers were said to have entered Ijero Ekiti through Aramoko Ekiti road.
They were said to have announced their arrival with gun shots which sent residents scampering for safety.
The bandits reportedly blew the bank’s security door with dynamite to gain access into the banking hall and made away with unspecified amount of money in the raid which lasted for about an hour.
The heavy shooting by the robbers paralysed transportation, economic and social activities in the town.
Confirming the incident, Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Caleb Ikechuckwu, said that he had visited the town to gather information, adding that the robbers arrived the town at about 5.30 p.m.
“There was indeed casualty; the robbers arrived the town few minutes after 5.30 p.m. They succeeded by using dynamite to gain access into the banking hall.
“There was, however, no casualty on the side of the bank but there was one or two on the side of police,” he said.
ActionAid Nigeria comments on Nigeria’s 2019 Presidential elections