No fewer than six policemen and six others, including residents and bank customers, have been reported killed after some robbers stormed about five banks in Offa, in the Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State on Thursday.
The heavily armed hoodlums had attacked the Owode Police Station in the metropolis where they killed the policemen and some complainants before they raided the banks.
Sources said some customers who were transacting businesses in the banks were also killed in the incident which was said to have lasted one hour.
The robbers, according to eyewitnesses, entered the town at about 4:45 pm and operated till about 5:40 pm unchallenged after blocking the Ilorin and Osogbo entrances into the town.
They were said to have later made their escape through Igosun, a nearby community.
Among those said to have been killed by the armed robbers were a police officer who was expected to retire in the next few months and a pregnant policewoman.
The bandits numbering at least 15, according to sources, came in different vehicles while they stationed themselves at strategic locations within the town while the operation lasted.
They were also said to have snatched some motorcycles to aid their escape.
The injured were conveyed to the General Hospital, Offa, for treatment while the corpses of the deceased have been evacuated.
A witness, who did not want to be identified, said he saw the corpses of six policemen.
“The ground was littered with corpses. Many people died. I counted six corpses of some policemen at the scene,” he said.
An Internet user said cars on the banks premises were also burnt.
He said,
“My siblings just came back home. They were on their way back to church and were caught in the crossfire close to Zenith Bank.
“According to them, no military force confronted the robbers throughout the operation. They used dynamite and crazy guns.
“They saw four people killed. They would have been killed because after they (robbers) finished the operation, a few of them opined that they should release gunfire on them (my siblings and those close to them), but a man, who seemed to be their boss, told them they had little time left and had no option than to exit immediately. Cars were burnt; cars were stolen. They exited through Igbosun route.”
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Ajayi Okasanmi, confirmed the incident, saying victims included policemen and other persons.
He said details of the incident would be made public on completion of investigation.
Offa in the past had witnessed serial attacks on banks leading to the closure of some branches in the highly commercial community which houses the Federal Polytechnic, Offa.
