No fewer than five persons were feared dead in a bloody bank robbery on Wednesday in Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
The robbers who wore masks and attacked commercial banks in different locations in the community, were said to have operated freely. They were also said to have used dynamite to pull down the entrance doors of the banks.
Eyewitnesses said the robbers positioned themselves in strategic locations and shot indiscriminately for up to an hour, causing panic and chaos among the residents.
The masked armed robbers, numbering about twenty, operated in two groups as they attacked the Amotekun Corps office in the town and shot some operatives.
According to sources, they first attacked the Ikere command of the Amotekun Corps along Ise Road and reportedly shot some operatives before attacking the banks.
The armed robbers broke the security doors of the banks with the aid of dynamite, and carted away an unspecified huge sum of money.
An eyewitness said the incident happened around 4pm, and that the robbers attempted to escape through the Ado-Akure Road but upon realising that there was a military checkpoint, made a U-turn and went through the Ise-Ekiti Road.
The robbers were said to have carted away a large sum of money from the banks.
It was learnt that many residents who work outside the town could not return home, while those around stayed indoor while the robbery lasted.
Confirming the robbery attack, the Ogoga of Ikere-Ekiti, Oba Adejimi Alagbado, expressed shock over the incident, describing it as unfortunate.
He said they operated unhindered for several minutes and escaped despite the presence of military checkpoints and a police area command in the town.
When contacted, the police spokesman in Ekiti State, DSP Sunday Abutu, could not be reached for comment.
