A security guard and a three-year-old girl have been reportedly killed after gunmen robbers stormed a branch of United Bank of Africa in Oye-Ekiti, the headquarters of Oye Local Government Area of Ekiti State, on Thursday, carting away undisclosed sums of money.

It was gathered that the eight-member armed robbery squad stormed the bank around 3:17pm with two vehicles.

The dare devil robbers who were said to have entered the town through Ayedun-Ekiti gained entry into the bank by blowing up the entrance with the aid of dynamite.

According to a source, the heavily armed robbers shot into the air to scare away residents within the vicinity of the bank in order to allow them to operate freely, as people scampered for safety.

Scores of customers and the staff of the bank were said to have been attacked with various degrees of injuries sustained.

A security guard working with the bank and a three-year old girl whose mother’s shop was beside the bank were killed by stray bullets shot by the criminals while to flee the scene

The operation lasted for some minutes before the criminals were said to have escaped through the back door of the bank.

It was also gathered that a police van which was hijacked and used to barricade the highway by the robbers was set ablaze after the operation.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in Ekiti State, Caleb Ikechukwu confirmed the incident but said the command is on the trail of the robbers.

He said: “I can confirm to you that there was a bank robbery. As I am talking to now, the operatives of SARS (the anti-robbery squad) with combined team of 33 Police Mobile Force (PMF) are trailing the armed robbers now.

“Information at our disposal is that they escaped through the bush path. We are trying to see how we can catch up with them. Preliminary investigation is ongoing as per the number of casualties.”

On whether they carted away money, he said, “I cannot confirm that”, Ikechukwu added. (The Nation)

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