Robbery to banks has become a daily life around Christmas season in Nigeria, especially in southwest Nigeria.
Commercial banks in southwest Nigeria's Osun State on Friday closed early for business over fear of attack by armed robbers.
While some of the banks did not open at all to customers, others that opened for business closed their gates as early as 12 noon.
Many customers were seen milling round the gates of banks as everyone of them, including those who wanted to use the ATM were prevented from transacting business. Union Bank did not open to customers at all, according to Tribune newspaper.
An official of a branch who did not want his name in print said the bank closed early because of information that robbers were coming to rob the bank.
He added that robbers have been terrorizing Osun State since Monday and banks have to close early so as to prevent them from taking customers' fund.
Police armor personnel carrier was seen on Friday going round the town in preparation for any eventuality.
It was another reign of terror on the Ife Ibadan expressway in the early hours of Friday, as armed robbers held sway, causing multiple accidents and great pandemonium.
An eyewitness, who was also a victim, said he ran into the thieves around 2:00 a.m. (0200 GMT) local time.
According to him, the armed robbers had disposed a trailer driver of his trailer and used it to block the road so as to force other unsuspecting motorists to a halt.
The sloppy portion of the road at which the armed robbers chose to perpetrate their evil acts caused the vehicles, which were coming at top speed to lose control and ram into each other.
A truck driver who pleaded anonymity added that while trying to escape, the armed robbers lost control-losing goods worth thousands of naira.
In another development on Friday, a nine-man robbery gang on Friday invaded a new generation commercial bank located in Alagbaka area of southwest Nigeria's Ondo State killing a policeman in the process.
This was barely 24 hours after the big wigs of the Nigeria Police led by the Inspector General, Mike Okiro, left Akure, Ondo State Capital.
The officer from the Special anti Robbery Squad of the Ondo State Command of the Nigeria Police was reportedly shot while on the trail of the robbers.
The incident led to panic among banks in the town as they hurriedly shut their gates preventing customers and others to enter. Adeniran Aremu, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) said one of the robbers was killed along Owo Expressway.
He said one AK 47 riffles two cars, live ammunitions and 20 empty hana Must Go? bags were recovered from the arrested robbers, while others escaped.
It was reported that the robbers invaded the bank in a Toyota Camry saloon car and another Mazda saloon car at about 12:30 p.m. local time (2430 GMT). The fully armed men were said to have gone straight to the building, which housed two banks, but finally settled for the new generation bank. Reports said it was easy for the robbers to gain entrance into the bank, as the bank did not have the security door with the new technology that other banks were using.
Four of the robbers were said to have approached the entrance but the security man on guard accosted them and told them that only one person could enter at a time.
It was at this point that the robbers drew out their pistols and forced their way into the banking hall.
The robbers were also said to have ransacked the banking hall and requested for the manager, who promptly identified himself and the robbers demanded for the key to the strong room.
However, when the robbers could not get to the vault they took all the money on the counter and those yet to be paid in by customers and the mobile phones of workers and customers.
A distress call put through to the police was said to have led to the intervention of the men of anti robbery squad who pursued the robbers trying to escape through the expressway after the operation.
Source:Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article