Policemen, 5 others die as robbers raid 2 banks in Niger

Besides the dead, no fewer than eighteen people said to have sustained various degrees of injuries are currently receiving treatments at the General Hospital in Lapai and the Federal Medical Centre in Bida.

It was gathered that the robbers on arrival in the town through the Lapai-Gunu road reportedly drove straight to the main Police station close to one of the banks and started shooting sporadically to register their presence and also to scare people from the area.

Eyewitness account

An eyewitness disclosed that two Policemen on duty were killed by the robbers before heading to the Bank where the Branch Manager was abducted.

“They were able to able to cart away a substantial amount of money from the bank’s vault.”

The robbers, it was further gathered immediately left the bank for another first generation bank in the town along Lapai-Paiko -Minna road where they reportedly had another successful raid.

“It was at the second bank that they killed a yet to be identified Civil Servant, who was said to have gone there to withdraw his salary.”

Others who sustained injuries were said to have died on their way to the Federal Medical Centre, Bida.

The raid on the two Banks was said to have lasted for about an hour leaving the helpless people of the town scampering for safety.

The state Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Muhammed Ketso, the state Commissioner of Police, Augustine Agbonlahor and other top government officials have visited the scene but the Police and government are yet to comment on the raid.