A 71-year-old returnee from abroad, identified as Pa Gabriel Ogundipe, is believed to be among those slain when about 50 armed robbers attacked four banks in Owo, Ondo State, penultimate Friday.

There were also seven policemen, including a woman, two bankers and a bank security official killed by the dare-devil bandits.

The casualties on the part of the armed robbers were seven of the men of the underworld who were killed in the battle with the police while seven others were arrested.

About N9.3million was, according to Ondo State Police Commissioner, Mr. Isaac Eke, among the items recovered from the bandits in an encounter with the police as they fled Owo after the operation.

Gargantuan arms and ammunition were also recovered from them.

Pa Ogundipe, said to have recently returned to his native Owo after sojourning abroad for 25 years, was reportedly hit by stray bullet from the robbers in their escape bid.

Sunday Vanguard gathered that the old man met his death at Rainbow Junction near the Federal Medical Center, FMC, in the town.

He reportedly attempted to look for a safe place to hide during the commotion that followed the sporadic shooting by the robbers while they were trying to get away.

But before he could find a safe place, one of the bullets allegedly released by one of the fleeing robbers hit him and he gave up the ghost.

Other victims whose identities could be confirmed include two bankers, Abiodun Olasemojo and Ademola Oyedokun, and a bank security officer, Femi Ayo.

A police source said N9.3million was recovered from the felled robbers while other escaped with several millions of Naira.

It was speculated that the robbers could have been the same who robbed banks in Ikare area of the state last December paying a return visit to the state via Owo.

Numbering 50, the hoodlums came in several vehicles including SUVs and shot sporadically, killing the seven policemen and civilians in the process.

Speaking on the incident, the state Police Commissioner, Eke, explained that the suspects were arrested by a team of policemen drawn from Ondo, Edo and military personnel who engaged the robbers in gun duel.

According to Eke “while the Ondo State policemen were pursuing the suspects, the Edo State policemen helped to block them”. 

Arms and ammunition recovered from the suspected robbers include 12,000 rounds of ammunition , six assault rifles, 17 AK rifles, three riot gunners, one revolver pistol, one chief revolver pistol, 11 dynamites and 142 magazines.

Other arms recovered include two sub machine guns, six Beretta rifles, two scorpion guns, three large rifles, three dane guns, Tarakov rifle and three pump action guns.

Eke confirmed the recovery of the N9.3million cash as well as police uniforms, 33 cannisters of tear gas, police steel helmets and 13 vehicles alledgedly used for the operation from the suspected armed robbers.

He gave the names of the bank raided as Ecobank, Wema Bank, First Bank and Skye Bank in Owo.

The police commissioner said that the robbers destroyed two police stations and three armored personnel carriers, APCs, during the operation.

Policemen, led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Operations in Ondo State, according to him, “put up a spirited counter attack leading to the death of seven of the armed robbers and the recovery of the arms and ammunition”.

He warned criminals who aid those who come from neighbouring states to relocate as the police command was resolute to root them out of the state.

In another development, 16 suspected militants have been shot dead in the coastal area of the state.

Seven other militants were arrested in Ajapa in Ese Odo local government area of Ondo State

A cache of weapons were reportedly recovered from them by security operatives.

The police commissioner said the suspected militants were arrested with the help of Gallery Security Service and military men.

Eke said 76 suspected cultists and one kidnap suspect were equally arrested by police detectives in the state.

The police chief said that the efforts of the Special Anti-Cultism Squad had started yielding fruits with a view to guaranteeing peace in the state.

He described the cult members arrested by the squad as “die-hard cultists”, adding that they will soon be prosecuted.