Tragedy struck Otukpo town in Benue state on Friday as an unconfirmed number of individuals fell victim to a vicious attack by armed robbers.
According to Andrew Aganga, a local resident, the assailants targeted four banks in the area, carrying out their operation from around 2 p.m. until 4 p.m.
The audacious attack also extended to a nearby police station, where the robbers managed to disarm all the officers on duty.
The financial institutions targeted by the robbers included First Bank, United Bank of Africa (UBA), Stanbic Bank, and Zenith Bank.
Describing the incident, Aganga recounted, “It was a broad daylight robbery, it took place around 2 p.m. till in the evening around 4 p.m. before they left.
They robbed UBA, First Bank, Zenith Bank, and Stanbic Bank. They robbed the police station near the banks and disarmed the policemen, even the vigilantes.”
Tragically, one of Aganga’s friends lost his life during the attack, underscoring the gravity of the situation.
Social media was inundated with trending videos depicting the brazen robbery, during which the criminals operated with impunity and caused extensive damage to the banks’ facilities.
When contacted for a statement, Sewuese Anene, the police spokesperson in the state, acknowledged the attack but indicated that she had not yet received detailed information about the incident.