Seven killed as robbers attack four banks in Edo

NO fewer than seven people, including two policemen and five civilians were feared killed on Thursday evening and huge sums of money stolen during a coordinated armed robbery attacks on four commercial banks in Uromi, headquarters of Esan North-East Local Government Area of Edo State. 

The Edo State Police command spokesman, Kontongs Bello, confirmed the robbery attacks but did not give details. 

The suspected armed robbers were also said to have carted away unspecified huge sums of money from the affected banks. 

A resident of the sprawling community, the home town of the late chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Tony Anenih, said that the attacks on the banks were glaringly coordinated. 

The source, who pleaded anonymity, described the attacks as “very coordinated in commando style as they armed robbers launched the attacks simultaneously. This is novel in this town. 

“The sporadic shots by the armed robbers caused panic in the town. The robbers came prepared. People were just running helter-skelter,” another source said. 

Residents were said to be contacting security agencies to come to the rescue of the banks and the residents. 

Meanwhile, when contacted, the Edo State Police Command Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Kontongs Bello, confirmed the attacks, saying, “two policemen and five civilians were killed during the banks’ robberies in Uromi.”