A violent bank heist in Ikere Ekiti, Ekiti State, on Wednesday afternoon reportedly killed five persons, including two Amotekun security agents.
The thieves, who wore masks, assaulted commercial banks along the town’s main thoroughfare and fired fire to gain entry to the banks’ premises, Platinum Times learned.
According to witnesses, the robbers positioned themselves strategically and shot indiscriminately for up to an hour, generating panic and commotion among the occupants.
While fleeing to safety, some of the victims were struck by the thieves’ gunfire.
Our correspondent learned that roughly twenty masked armed robbers stormed the town around 4:15 p.m. and robbed the banks in Odo Oja and Oke-osun at the same time.
According to accounts, they initially attacked the Amotekun Corps’ Ikere headquarters along Ise Road and allegedly shot some operatives before attacking the banks.
Armed thieves used dynamite to break down bank security doors and took away an unspecified large sum of money.
However, as of the time of reporting this story, the Ekiti State Police spokesman, Sunday Abutu, could not be reached because repeated calls and messages to his cell phone went unanswered.
Meanwhile, the Ogoga of Ikere Ekiti, Oba Adejimi Alagbado, expressed amazement over the robbery incidence over the phone.
He expressed regret that the armed robbers were able to carry out their operations unhindered for several minutes and escaped despite the presence of military checkpoints and a Police Area Command in the town.
Oba Alagbado stated that he had discussed the situation with security personnel and that those responsible for the heinous conduct must be arrested and prosecuted.