The dreaded incident of bank robbery was re-enacted in Lagos on Tuesday when armed robbers besieged four banks in the metropolis.
The frontline commercial banks (names withheld), are located on the same road in Ladipo area of Mushin.
The robbers, numbering about 30 and armed with sophisticated weapons, were said to have arrived at the area at about 2am.
Our correspondent learnt that the robbers distributed themselves to the banks and began work simultaneously.
While some were busy trying to break into the banking halls others maintained strategic positions to keep �unwanted persons� at bay.
Midway into the operation, residents who noticed the presence of the dreadful visitors, sent distress calls to the police.
It was leant that the police sent several detachments of its men to the scene and a fierce gun battle, which lasted for about an hour, ensued.
It was also learnt that the robbers had succeeded with two of the banks and had carted some money away from them before the arrival of the security men.
While the encounter between the robbers and the police lasted, gunshot sounds rent the air in the entire area while all the glass compartments in the banks were shattered.
At press time, none of the robbers, who escaped from the scene, had been arrested.
Spokesman for the Lagos State Police Command, Mr. Olubode Ojajuni, a deputy superintendent of police, confirmed the attack to our correspondent on Tuesday.
Ojajuni said, �We cannot call that a robbery, it was an attempted bank robbery and we were there on time to chase the robbers away.
�Because of our past experience, our men were shooting from a distance and since they could not allow the robbers to perform their act, they (robbers) became frustrated.
�In their annoyance, the robbers started shooting at random, especially into the banks. They did this in order to escape.�
The PPRO admitted that the robbers� presence was felt in the area, but denied that they succeeded in gaining entry into any of the banks.