Over thirty people were reported killed on Thursday, Last week. when a gang of armed men attacked banks and a police station in Owode Market Area in Offa Local Government Area in Kwara state.
The police howere said fifteen people were killed in the Offa robbery attack, according to AFP Friday. “They attacked the police station and at the same time attacked two banks,” said Kwara state police spokesman Ajayi Okasanmi, adding that nine police and six civilians died in the violence.
The gang invaded a busy commercial area where several banks and the police station are located in broad daylight around 4:50 pm (1550 GMT), said Okasanmi. “We are going all-out to ensure we arrest them,” he said, adding that the haul from the robbery was not immediately known. The robbers charged into the banks and shot people on the spot before making off with bags of cash on stolen motorbikes, said a witness. “They split into two groups. One group attacked the divisional police station where they opened indiscriminate fire,” said a resident who witnessed the attack, speaking on condition of anonymity. “The other group attacked the two banks, shooting people they met inside, many of them in the head,” he said. “They carried away money in sacks from the banks and fled on motorcycles they seized from okada (motorcycle taxis) riders.”
A Closed Circuit Television footage said to be that of the robbery in Offa, Kwara State on Tuesday surfaced on the social media. No fewer than 17 persons, including nine policemen, were killed in the robbery operation carried out on April 5, 2018.
The robbery has been condemned by all Nigerians. Banks in the town were only reopened last year after over one year closure following incessant attacks by armed robbers. In the footage, a woman and her child were seen leaving what looked like the ATM house of a bank when gun bearing men started shooting sporadically from the major road.
Two men standing by the small house took off immediately they heard the gunshots, while the camera angle did not show what became of the woman and the child she was holding.
After that, three armed men were seen going around seemingly coordinating what next to do.
Smoke, which appeared to come from explosives were also seen after a banging noise.
Another explosive was later thrown into what seem like the small building housing the ATM.
Then the men went inside and came out. The CCTV footage could however not be independently confirmed as being that of the Offa robbery incident as at press time.
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