TheCable

Suspected armed robbers, on Friday, attacked a branch of Wema Bank in Iyin-Ekiti in Irepodun/Ifelodun local government area of the state, carting away an undisclosed sum of money.

The robbers were said to have arrived at the bank premises around 3pm and forced their way in by blasting the security doors with explosives.

They reportedly shot sporadically into the air to scare away residents and passers-by, before gaining entry into the banking hall.

Sunday Abutu, the state police public relations officer who confirmed the incident, said security personnel were immediately mobilised to the bank when they were alerted.

“Immediately we got a distress call from the area, we drafted our men there. Our men are on the trail of the criminals,” Abutu said.

“I want to confirm to you that the robbers are being chased as I speak with you with the determination to effect their arrest and make them face the law.

“While our men were chasing them, they abandoned two of their vehicles and escaped into the forest. We have recovered the vehicles. Our men are combing the forest. We hope the robbers will be arrested. Ekiti will never be a safe haven for criminals.”

The attack comes less than 24 hours after the police raised the alarm over alleged plans by bandits to invade the state and “unleash havoc”.

“It has come to the notice of Ekiti state police command through intelligence gathering that some group of persons suspected to be armed hoodlums and criminally-minded aliens have concluded their plans to enter Ekiti state in their large numbers in order to unleash evil, cause havoc and create apprehension,” Babatunde Mobayo, the state commissioner of police, had said.

“Furthermore, intelligence gathering has it that the first set of the armed and criminally-minded hoodlums will arrive the state [under] the pretence of settling peacefully with their host communities, while the other set will come later to launch attacks and cause havoc on the innocent populace.”