TheCable

A manager with Heritage Bank, a cashier and two other persons were killed in a robbery incident at Otun Ekiti, headquarters of Moba local government area of Ekiti state, on Friday.

The other persons killed were two security guards; one attached to the palace of Adedapo Popoola, the paramount ruler of the town, and another attached to Unity Bank.

Another group of robbers were also said to have invaded the Divisional Police headquarters at Ido Ekiti, Ido Osi local government area, destroying the entire premises with explosives before carting away arms.

Ido Osi shares boundary with Moba.

Popoola briefed reporters on how the incident at Moba happened.

“I was relaxing with my chiefs in front of the palace when we heard what first sounded like some fireworks and we dismissed it as some of the children’s antics as a result of the festive period,” he said.

“But later, we heard heavier and more shocking sounds that resembled gunshots and explosives

“That was when we realised it was no child’s play as gunshots and explosives rang loud all over the place.

“I couldn’t really rationalise the incident as we ruminated on whether it was a robbery, Boko Haram attack or some form of war.

“We later learnt that the robbers planted their men at the four entry points leading into the town.

“The Heritage Bank Manager and cashier, security man at Unity Bank and my own night guard were all killed in the operation.”

He said he contacted the governor, who mobilized security personnel, but that by the time the security operatives got there, the robbers had left.

“I immediately reported the case to the governor and he mobilised the security operatives who promptly followed up the governor’s instruction,” he said.

“But by the time the reinforcement came, the robbers had left the scene.”

The monarch, who said the incident was the first of its kind in the town, said Otun was prone to such attacks because of its border town status with Kogi, Osun and Kwara states.

“The border towns and local government areas should be given very tight security so that such incidents do not happen again,” he said.

“Government should put in more efforts into ensuring the protection of lives and property.”

Residents said the security guard at Unity Bank had just resumed for work in the evening when the robbers struck.

He was said to be preparing for his wedding in a matter of days while his wife was said to be pregnant.

Confirming the incident, Alberto Adeyemi, Ekiti police public relations officer, said the bodies of the victims had been deposited at the morgue in Usi-Ekiti General Hospital

“We have commenced investigations into the incident and hope that the perpetrators would soon be apprehended,” he said.