By John Ikani
No fewer than 7 persons have been confirmed dead following attempted robberies on two banks at Apomu/Ikire communities in Osun State.
Confirming the incident, Osun State Police Command said seven people, including two police officers and two constabularies, lost their lives during the Wednesday evening attack on First Bank Ikire and Access Bank Apomu respectively.
According to the spokesperson of the command, SP Yemisi Opalola, armed robbers numbering about 35 stormed the towns around 6:10pm in attempt to rob banks.
Opalola explained that four policemen, ASP Osho Oluranti, Inspector Lekan Olalere, Two Special Constabularies; namely Oladeni Olalekan, and Oyedeji Muyideen were shot dead in an efforts to repel the robbers.
She went in to note that the three residents that were killed during the attack were shot by the robbers who she said were shooting sporadically after the police operatives and local security groups engaged them.
The spokesperson statement partly read: “The armed robbers numbering about Thirty-five(35) came in about Five(5) vehicles simultaneously attacked Ikire Divisional Police HQ and the Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) pinned down at Ikoyi-Osun with several explosive devices and several gun firing in a bid to subdue the capacity of the Police while attempting to rob First Bank Ikire and Access Bank Apomu respectively.
“It is unfortunate that ASP Osho Oluranti, Inspector Lekan Olalere, Two (2) Special Constabularies; namely Oladeni Olalekan, and Oyedeji Muyideen were shot dead in the process.
“On sighting the overwhelming Policemen comprising Prompt Response Unit (PRU), CP’s Surveillance team, IRT Operatives, STS, 39 PMF, JTF, along with the local security outfits, who swiftly engaged them in a fierce gun duel, the robbers began to flee. While escaping, they shot sporadically, and regrettably, three (3) civilians were shot namely Toheeb Oyebola, Temilorun Adebiyi and one other, (whose identity is not yet known), all male.
“The assailants fled to the bush with gun shot wounds, abandoning two of the operational vehicles they came with. They did not succeed robbing any of the banks.”
She further noted that corpses of the deceased have been deposited at Oluyoro Catholic Hospital morgue, Apomu, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects
What you should know
The attempted robbery comes just days after the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu said the South-West geographical zone is the safest region in Nigeria.
However, there are tit bits of insecurity pervading the region with the latest being the hijack of a school bus by unknown gunmen in Ondo state on Thursday morning.
