Robbers Sack Police Station, Blow Up Bank

Hafiz Ringim, Inspector-General of Police.

Hafiz Ringim, former Inspector-General of Police.

Gunmen have attacked the Akamkpa Divisional Police station on the outskirts of Calabar, the Cross River State capital, southsouth Nigeria. The gang made away with arms and ammunition with which they robbed an old generation bank in the area.

Hafiz Ringim, Inspector-General of Police.

The gang reportedly carted away millions of naira from the bank.

The robbers numbering seven, eye witnesses said, invaded the police station in a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) at about 3 p.m. on Monday and shot indicriminately.

The policemen on duty were reported to have fled, deserting the station for the robbers to make away with arms and ammunition.

“After the police ran away, the robbers took their guns and from there drove straight to the premises of the bank where they blew up the bank’s gate with explosive.

“The policemen guarding the bank also escaped along with the bank staff and the robbers then went in and packed the money in bags into their SUV and drove off,” a teacher in Akamkpa Secondary School, told P.M.NEWS.

Witnesses said millions of naira was carted away by the robbers in what one of them described as the “first successful bank robbery in the state”.

The Police Public Relations Officer for the Cross River Police Command, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Michael Bassey confirmed the robbery incident.

The police, he said, were yet to make any arrest but investigations are in progress towards apprehending the hoodlums.

The Legal Officer at the affected bank’s headquarters in Calabar, Mr. Andy Oni said the amount stolen by the robbers was yet to be ascertained until complete investigations are carried out by the team that would be sent down from Lagos.

He did say when the team would arrived Calabar.

— Emma Una/Calabar

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