Robbers attack Benue banks, kill 8 persons including policemen

Armed Men Invaded And Looted A Number Of Commercial Banks In Otukpo, The Administrative Centre Of The Benue South Senatorial District, On Friday Afternoon. The Operation Lasted Around An Hour.

An Eyewitness Reported That The Bloody Operation, Which Resulted In The Deaths Of Eight People—including Police Officers, Vigilantes, And A Serving Councillor—created Chaos In The Historic Town. The Councillor Was Conducting Business In One Of The Affected Commercial Banks When The Armed Men Stormed The Building.

The Hooded, Armed Individuals, According To The Eyewitness, Attacked The Local Police Station First, Disarming All Of The Officers There Before Moving On To The Main Commercial Banks.

He said, “The entire operation started at about 3 pm, when young men numbering about 10 in Toyota Hilux vehicles and another small car stormed Zenith Bank and detonated explosives in the bank after which they started shooting sporadically.

“All the cars that were parked at the banks and within the area were all shattered including the goods in people’s shops because the banks Are very close to the market. “The explosions created pandemonium in the town and people started running in different directions for their lives.

“In the midst of the confusion, the armed men successfully robbed Zenith Bank, Uba and First Bank.

Eight Other People Were Also Killed By Them, Including Several Police Officers Assigned To The Banks And Otukpo Vigilantes Who Tried To Confront Them.

“We learnt that among those killed was a serving councillor who was in one of the banks to transact business when the armed men stormed the premises. “After successfully robbing the banks the armed men carted away money in bags, shooting into the air to scare away the people and headed towards Makurdi via the Makurdi-otukpo Road.

“Like what we see in the movies, as they drive past the streets of Otuklo. They continued to shoot sporadically forcing people to scamper as if there is no security in the town.”

The armed men were being pursued by security personnel, according to the traditional ruler Of Otukpo, Ochi Otukpo Odu, HRH Chief John Eimonye, who confirmed the situation.

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