Pandemonium had broken out on Monday, June 1, 2015 as some armed bandits raided two commercial banks in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State at about 8:30am.
The robbers shot indiscriminately into the air as they raided Omitoro branch of First Bank and carted away an undisclosed amount of money.
Minutes after the attack, the bandits reportedly stormed a branch of Wema Bank at the Ijede area of Ikorodu but were engaged in a gun duel with some policemen before they escaped.
Speaking about the incident, a resident of Ijede,who identified himself only as Stanley, said the gunshots rented the air for about 30 minutes.
He said, “It was at about 8.30am, the banks had barely opened for business when the gunshots started booming.
“Though my house is very far, we could hear the gunshots. It lasted for about 30 minutes. After leaving First Bank, they went to Wema Bank and also shot into the air.”
Also speaking was another source, who claimed to have witnessed the two attacks.
He disclosed that the gunmen proceeded to the Ijede branch of Wema Bank but were ‘however, repelled by the police.”
Meanwhile, no casulaties were recorded in the encounter despite that the gunshots caused a serious stir in the environ.
The Head, Media and External Relations, First Bank, Mr. Babatunde Lasaki, confirmed the attack to Punch but added that the robbers did not gain entrance into the bank.
He said, “The security operatives were alerted and the robbers were not able to gain entrance into the building. So while the operatives were trying to scare the robbers away, they started shooting. It was the shooting that actually attracted attention.
“However, I will not be able to say they did not cart away money, but the important thing was that they did not gain access to our box. If they took away money, it would be only the little pieces found on people on the premises. None of our workers was injured in the attack. Normal banking operations should resume tomorrow (today).”
Additionally, the Head, Brand and Marketing Communication, Wema Bank, Mrs. Onome Odili, said, “There was a foiled robbery attack on the bank’s branch at Ijede.
“By the time they got to our place, everyone had taken off. At present, we have handed everything over to law enforcement agencies. I can confirm that there was also no loss of life and property. The resumption of the bank back to operations is dependent on the outcome of the investigations.”
Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Kenneth Nwosu, said, “The robbers succeeded in Omitoro, but in Ijede, the bank had already been briefed on the situation and security was beefed up. The police repelled the robbers and they escaped with gunshot injuries.
“At Omitoro, I cannot say the extent of damage done as I am not the bank manager. Meanwhile, efforts are on to apprehend the robbers.”
