Thursday, June 25, 2015

Robbers Smash Two Banks With Explosives In Lagos

•CLOCKWISE: The vehicles set on fire by the robbers as they escaped from the crime scene... yesterday. •One of the shops hit by stray bullets from the robbers’ guns... yesterday The entrance to one of the banks ... yesterday.


It was like a scene from an action-packed movie. A group of people, among them a lady, shooting indiscriminately, their guns’ smoke clouding the skyline. Residents scampered indoors, banging their doors. Businesses closed hurriedly.
The scene was no movie, it all happened in Ikorodu the outskirts of Lagos where robbers struck.
The robbers, armed with sophisticated guns and explosives, hit two banks on Ipakodo Road, Ebute, Ikorodu.
They escaped in a speedboat on the lagoon after setting ablaze some vehicles, including the ones that brought them.
The cash lost in the early morning robbery could not be ascertained last night.

The Nation report continues:
Witnesses said the robbers might have arrived at the vicinity of the banks at dawn and laid a siege to the area, waiting for them to open for business.
They launched the attacks simultaneously around 8:30am.
The robbers disarmed the security men and made straight for the doors, which they blasted with explosives.
While the operation was going on inside, some of the robbers stood guard outside and intermittently fired shots into the air to scare away people.
Witnesses said there was heavy exchange of gun shots between the robbers and policemen who responded to distress calls.
A witness, who runs a business concern close to the banks, which are opposite a police station, said at a point in the course of the  operation, the robbers dared the police to come out and face them.
There was pandemonium in Ipakodo. Pedestrians scampered for safety. Motorists made U-turns to leave the area.
The incident caused a traffic gridlock at Ogolonto and on Beach Road as motorists changed routes to escape from the troubled area.
It was gathered that some pedestrians and customers were injured by stray bullets.
Commissioner of Police Kayode Aderanti visited the robbery scene and met with operatives in the area.
He said the police had launched “full scale investigation” into the robbery, with a view to arresting the suspects.
He also said investigation was on-going on last month’s robbery at another bank in Omitoro, Ijede Road, in the same town.
Yesterday’s attack came barely three weeks after the one at Ijede.
A police source said yesterday that the robbers might have taken a cue from the bank robbery in Lekki two months ago as the mode of operation was the same. Some of the suspects in the Lekki robbery have been arrested by the police.
Lagos Police spokesman Ken Nwosu, a Deputy Superintendent, said investigations had begun into the robbery. He announced a N5 million reward for anyone with useful information on the robbers.
He said: “At about 0830hrs of June 24, some armed bandits numbering 10 stormed banks on Ipakodo Road, Ikorodu and carted away unspecified amount of money.
“The armed bandits were engaged by policemen mobilized to the scene forcing them to escape through the Origin Jetty along Kosoko water.
“The command is taking far reaching decisions towards tackling the menace of these hoodlums. Intensive efforts towards rounding up these hoodlums are underway even as the CP assured the banks of the Command’s resolve to ensure the safety of their operations in Ikorodu and indeed the state.
“Three vehicles used by the bandits got burnt under cross fire and empty shells  were recovered.”

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