22nd January, 2016
Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
Several persons were injured and vehicles parked in front of an old generation bank branch at Mile One, Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Capital, were damaged after attempt by robbers to rob a bullion van about to discharge a huge cash in bank was foiled.
The armed robbers who had trailed the bullion van to the bank shot sporadically to scare people but were challenged policemen escorting the bullion van.
Rivers State Police Command in a press statement confirmed the failed robbery attempt on Thursday, saying that at about 3:25 pm on Thursday, there was a foiled robbery attempt by suspected armed robbers at a first generation bank situated along Ikwerre Road, Port Harcourt.
According to the state Police Command PRO, DSP Ahmad Muhammad, “Suspected armed robbers in a black Toyota Camry laid a siege and attacked a bullion van conveying huge amount of money to the bank.
“Swift and brave counter attack by policemen escorting the van forced the assailants to retreat and escape abandoning their operational rifle thus giving the van driver the opportunity to safely drive the van into the bank premises.
“A policeman and a bank official sustained gun shot wounds. They were later rushed to hospital for treatment.
“One AK-47 rifle loaded with eighty four rounds of 7.62 live ammunition loaded in four magazines were recovered”.
Furthermore, he said what happened as against what was reported by some media houses was that a bank official was whisked away in front of police station by the armed robbers.
He also denied the report that the armed robbers operated “unchallenged”, as the robbers would not have jettisoned the robbery operation and abandoned an AK-47 rifle and escaped.