No fewer than 20 persons have lost their lives in the bank
robbery operation that engulfed Owo town in Ondo State, on
Thursday.
A reliable source at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, who
pleaded anonymity, said 18 corpses were brought to the
hospital at about 8:20pm on Thursday, while additional two
were brought in on Friday morning.
“Now as I speak to you, we have 20 corpses in the morgue.
We received 18 bodies last night and additional two this
morning. They were all casualties of the robbery incident that
happened the previous night. We also have about 25 people,
with varying degree of injuries, receiving treatment in the
emergency ward.
Armed robbers at about 5pm on Thursday attacked four
banks, namely, Wema Bank, Ecobank, First Bank and Skye
bank. Eyewitness accounts put the number of the hoodlums
that carried out the operation at about 40 and that they
arrived in about ten vehicles.
There was an uneasy calm as the residents, in clusters, lined major
roads in the ancient town discussing and analysing the
tragedy that had befallen them the previous night. None of the
banks opened for operation, but our correspondent learnt that
the staff were in the bank trying to put things in order.
It was learnt that the branch manager of Wema Bank, a staff
and a security officer attached to the bank were killed in the
premises. There were still splashes of blood on the floor of the
pavement at the frontage of the bank as of Friday morning.
There was also an abandoned Mercedes Benz E320 4MATIC
wagon, with registration number APP 574 DG. Also, the only
security door at the entrance of the bank was blown open.
An eye witness, who identified himself simply as Seun, said
the manager was instructed to fill one of the vehicles with
cash, and that after obeying the directive, he and two others
were shot outside the banking hall.