Home News Two die as armed robbers storm a bank in Ekiti

Two die as armed robbers storm a bank in Ekiti

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A security guard and a five-year-old girl were slain after gunmen stormed a branch of a Bank in Oye-Ekiti, the headquarters of Oye Local Government Area of Ekiti State,yesterday, carting away undisclosed sums of money.

It was gathered that the eight-member robbery gang stormed the bank around 3:17pm in two vehicles.

The Nation reports that the robbers were said to have entered the bank by blowing up the security door with dynamite.

According to a source, the heavily armed robbers shot into the air to scare away residents within the vicinity of the bank in order to allow them to operate freely, as people scampered for safety.

Scores of customers and bank officials were reportedly left with various degrees of injuries.

The security guard and the five-year old girl whose mother’s shop was beside the bank were killed by stray bullets as the robbers fled.

The operation lasted for some minutes before the criminals were said to have escaped through the back door of the bank.

It was also gathered that a police van which was hijacked and used to barricade the highway by the robbers was set ablaze after the operation.

Police Public Relations Officer in Ekiti State, Caleb Ikechukwu confirmed the incident but said the command was on the trail of the robbers.

He said: “I can confirm to you that there was a bank robbery. As I am talking to you now, operatives of anti-robbery officers with a combined team of 33 Police Mobile Force (PMF) are trailing the armed robbers now.

“Information at our disposal is that they escaped through the bush path. We are trying to see how we can catch up with them. Preliminary investigation is ongoing as per the number of casualities”.

On whether they carted away money, he said, “I cannot confirm that”, Ikechukwu added.