No fewer than eight persons including three mobile policemen were yesterday killed by armed robbers who attacked the UBA branch at Ifako/Gbagada area of Lagos State. An unknown number of persons were also seriously wounded by the rampaging robbers who succeeded in carting away unspecified huge amount of money from the bank�s vault.
Police authorities however confirmed only the death of three persons and stated that the operation was foiled by their men.
Vanguard learnt that the incident which took place around 1.45 pm should be described as one of the swiftest robbery operations recorded so far in recent times as it lasted for only 10 minutes. Eyewitness account said the robbers numbering about twenty and armed with sophisticated weapons arrived the premises of the bank in a black jeep and two other cars. They reportedly started releasing volleys of bullets indiscriminately as soon as they alighted from their vehicles.
Three mobile policemen attached to squadron 2 in Ikeja, an Inspector, a Sergeant and another Constable who were on guard at the bank were said to be the first victims of the operation as they were instantly felled by bullets from the robbers. Sources said the robbers easily gained entry into the bank and kept on releasing sporadic shots in all directions until they entered the vault and made away with a huge amount of money. Five of the bank�s customers who were on queue were reportedly shot and they died later after the departure of the robbers. The identities of the civilian victims were yet to be known as at press time.
The incident which sent shock waves across Ifako and Gbagada areas of the state paralyzed commercial activities as motorists, shop owners and passers-bye scampered for safety in different directions.
Normalcy however returned to the area after a team of policemen arrived the scene accompanied by two Armored Personnel Carriers (APC�s) and that was long before the fleeing armed robbers had taken their leave towards Oshodi area.