Robbers kill policeman in Ekiti bank attack

One feared dead as drivers clash over ticket
A yet-to-be-identified policeman was yesterday shot dead while an undisclosed amount of money was carted away after armed robbers invaded a bank in Ise-Ekiti and robbed for close to 30 minutes.

The incident happened at about 2:00p.m. when the robbers, who came with two vehicles, entered the town through Ikere road, shooting sporadically into the air to scare people away from the vicinity of the bank.

The deceased was said to be a security official. Sources said the robbers forced their way into the banking hall with dynamite and carted away huge amount of money stacked in five ‘Ghana must go’ bags. Some staff of the bank and customers who came for transaction were said to have been injured during the attack.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ekiti Command, DSP Caleb Ikechukwu, said: “I can confirm to you that a bank was robbed at Ise Ekiti. A policeman attached to the bank was killed. The robbers broke the security door with explosive material, precisely dynamite. Our men are on their trail and we shall ensure that none of them escape.”

Meanwhile, one person was yesterday killed in Igogo Ekiti, Moba Local Government Area of Ekiti State during a clash between two drivers in the town. One of the drivers, who allegedly disagreed over ticket being sold to members for daily operations, was said to have beaten his rival with substance suspected to be charm and died on the spot.

The two drivers belong to the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW). The crisis soon turned bloody as supporters and relations of the deceased attacked those loyal to the alleged killer of the driver.

The irate drivers brandished dangerous weapons like cutlasses, cudgels and bottles during the clash. An eyewitness confirmed to newsmen that the fracas, which started with two drivers later escalated to a full-scale fight between drivers and relations of the two feuding individuals.

The crisis was said to have paralysed commercial activities in the area and later witnessed heavy deployment of policemen in the town.

One of the drivers was said to have obtained a ticket in the morning and allegedly declined payment when asked after some hours, a situation which resulted in hot argument before degenerating into fracas.

“As they started exchanging blows, one of them brought out a substance suspected to be a charm and hit the other. He fell immediately and became unconscious while efforts to revive him proved abortive,” he said.

The incident left many injured with the victims currently receiving treatment in the hospital. When contacted, the state chairman of NURTW, Mr. Osho Farotimi, confirmed the incident, describing it as unfortunate and unwarranted.