Policeman dies as bandits raid Akwa Ibom bank

By Etim Ekpimah

Bandits on Wednesday attacked a branch of a first generation bank Ibekwe Road, Ikot Abasi Urban, Ikot Abasi Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

It was learnt that a police van that responded to a distress call from the bank, somersaulted on its way to the scene of the incident, killing a police sergeant while other policemen sustained serious injuries.
The bandits said to be about 18, stormed the bank around 11.45am and carted away an undisclosed sum of money.
Eyewitnesses told our correspondent that the hoodlums, who were said to have shot indiscriminately on arrival at the bank, wore military camouflage.
According to the eyewitnesses, the robbers had a field day during the operation that lasted for more than an hour.
An indigene of the area, who was at the bank (name withheld), told our correspondent that the robbers were seen loading huge sums of money into a waiting vehicle parked outside the bank’s premises.
“I thank God to be alive. I was in the bank before the armed robbers arrived. They began to shoot sporadically into the air. I was lucky a bullet went right through my side and hit the wall,” he said.
It was gathered that during the operation, the robbers kidnapped an Indian expatriate working with the National Integrated Power Project, Mr. Zubayer, and two other members of staff of the bank.
Some operatives of the Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS Jubilee in Ikot Abasi, were said to have engaged the bandits in a gun battle.
The robbers were said to have escaped through the Okopedi waterways.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Cordelia Nwawe, confirmed the incident.
According to her, no arrest has been made but police operatives had been deployed in Ikot Abasi in order to find the robbers.
Mwawe added, “No arrest has been made. We lost a sergeant; he wasn’t shot. There was an accident with our police vehicle on the way to do the rescue operation.
“Three persons, who were kidnapped by the robbers, have been rescued by the police. One whiteman and two employees of the bank have been rescued by the police.
“We lost a police sergeant because our vehicle somersaulted.”
Culled from Punch newspaper