Daredevil robbers that hit two commercial banks in Osun State on Wednesday narrowly missed a bullion van they were targeting, a report has revealed.
The First Bank and Access Bank branches in Apomu and Ikire areas of the state were hit in the attack that left no fewer than seven persons dead.
Security agents and members of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) were said to have repelled the robbers’ onslaught in Apomu, before the bullion van arrived the town.
The Punch quoted a source in Ikire as stating that the robbers made an unsuccessful attempt to gain access to the vault of the First Bank branch.
The robbers were said to have hauled dynamite into the palace of the Akire of Ikire but no one sustained any injury as a result.
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A witness stated that the robbers carried out the daring operation on motorcycles conveying three men each.
They were said to have entered through Ikoyi town, killed a policeman and demobilised the Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) stationed at the town’s entrance.
The robbers, who split up, then moved on Ikire and Apomu, launching coordinated attacks on a branch of Access Bank in Apomu, a branch of First Bank and the police divisional headquarters both in Ikire.
In the later town, a police inspector and two community policing officers were shot dead.
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The robbers were said to have hit the police station around 6 pm and hid their weapons in a sack.
After the police inspector and a constable, who were armed, were shot dead, the robbers reportedly shot another constable that just resumed duty.
The robbers, who riddle the station with bullets, proceeded to free suspects detained at the station.
In Apomu, the robbers were said to have met stiff resistance from men of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), who prevented them from gaining entry into the bank.
However, three civilians were shot dead and an OPC member was wounded in the ensuing exchange of gunfire.
In a statement, the Osun State Police Command spokesperson, Yemisi Opalola, said that the robbers attacked the police division to prevent resistance when hitting the bank.
She disclosed that the robbers numbered about 35 and arrived the town in five vehicles.
According to the police image maker, the robbers simultaneously attacked the areas with explosive devices and guns.
“It was unfortunate that ASP Osho Oluranti, Inspector Lekan Olalere, two special constabularies, namely: Oladeni Olalekan and Oyedeji Muyideen, were shot dead in the process.
“On sighting the overwhelming policemen comprising the Prompt Response Unit, the CP’s Surveillance Team, IRT operatives, STS, 39 PMF, JTF, along with the local security outfits, who swiftly engaged them in a fierce gun duel, the robbers began to flee. While escaping, they shot sporadically and regrettably, three civilians were shot, namely: Toheeb Oyebola, Temilorun Adebiyi and one other, whose identity is not yet known,” Opalola said.
However, she said that the robbers abandoned their operational vehicle and escaped but not before sustaining serious gunshot wounds.
Opalola noted that the corpses of the slain police officers had been deposited in the Oluyoro Catholic Hospital Morgue, Apomu.
She added that effort was on to apprehend the fleeing robbers.