A gang of 40 armed robbers in a commando style yesterday raided a bank in Agbara, Ogun State killing pedestrians, a policeman and leaving many injured, Punch reports.


Photo credit: The Nation

Reports say the robbers stormed Bank Road, Agbara Estate, around 8.30am and reportedly carted away millions of naira from Zenith Bank.

It was learnt that the robbers gained entry into the bank after blowing up the bank’s rotor doors with dynamites.

The assailants, clad in army and police uniforms, sacked policemen inside an Armoured Personnel Carrier in the area and shot sporadically, killing a policeman in mufti named Aliyu.

They also robbed customers withdrawing money from the ATM.

An eyewitness, who identified himself only as Wahab, said the robbers loaded the money they stole from Zenith Bank in four cars and left the area.

“I was looking at them from the company where I work while they packed money inside the cars. They felt very confident. The policemen fled.” he said.

A security guard attached to one of the banks said the robbers operated for about one hour 30 minutes.

“I witnessed the incident. It was God that saved me. Their bullets landed just beside me. They arrived at 8.14am. They were more than 25 and girls were among them. They were in army and police uniforms and some of them put on helmets.

“The policeman (Aliyu) was in mufti with a gun. He was going to buy food when the robbers shot him dead. They thought he was coming for them.

“It was 20 minutes after they had left that policemen came. They also robbed a pastor that just withdrew money from our ATM. They only succeeded in Zenith Bank.”

Another security man attached to First Bank said a man was shot in front of the bank. He, however, said the robbers did not gain entry into the bank.

An okada rider, Matthew Bankole, said, “Where I hid under a trailer, I saw some of them walking gallantly, providing backup for their members inside cars which contained the money they had stolen. They were shooting sporadically. Two women were hit by stray bullets around the market. The nursing mother died instantly but the other woman has been rushed to a hospital.”

The Agbara Estates Limited said in a statement that two policemen were killed.

The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, said it was painful that one of the policemen at Zenith Bank was killed by the robbers.

He said the robbers abandoned two vehicles at the scene of the incident but blew up one of them as they fled hurriedly.