3 killed as robbers raid Okene banks

Armed robbers attacked three banks in broad daylight yesterday in Okene, Kogi State, killing 10 people and taking away millions of naira.Witness said the dead people were hit by stray bullets as the robbers fired sporadic gun shots on getting to the area where the banks are located. The robbed banks were UBA, Intercontinetal and GTB banks.One of those killed was a traveller on the Okene road while the other two were residents of the town.A witness said about 20 robbers stormed the area at about 3pm yesterday, armed with rifles, riding exotic cars including Toyota JP, Mecedez Benz and End of Discussion Honda Accord.They fired indiscriminate shots, forcing policemen and residents to go into hiding.The witness said the robbers used explosives to destroy the security entrance of the banks.'The robbers raided the banks for over one hour, moving freely from one of the banks to the other with no security men on sight. All shops, banks across the town were closed down even as police stations were also shut due to the robbery operation.Travelers passing through from the South and the North had to make U-turn to avoid the robbers. They even bombed the armoured tank abandoned by the police at Okene secretariat,' he said.He said about 15 minutes after the robbers left, policemen were still hiding.Public Relations Officer of the Kogi State Police Command, Ajayi Okasami, said he could not confirm the casualties as there was no contact with their men in Okene due to communication breakdown.Meanwhile, most of the banks in the state capital Lokoja hurriedly closed for fear of being attacked.On Monday, armed robbers bombed a bank and police station in Ayetoro-Gbede, Kogi State, and took away weapons from the Police armoury.
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