Armed men launched a daring attack on several commercial banks on Friday in Otukpo, the capital of Benue South Senatorial District, which resulted in the tragic loss of eight lives, including police personnel, vigilante members, and a serving Councillor who happened to be transacting business in one of the targeted banks.

The robbery lasted about an hour with the armed men using explosives and sophisticated weapons to execute the operation.

An eyewitness recounted the terrifying ordeal, “The entire operation started at about 3 pm when about ten men, wearing hoods and driving Toyota Hilux vehicles and another small car, stormed Zenith Bank. They detonated explosives in the bank and then began shooting indiscriminately. All the cars parked near the banks and in the area were severely damaged, and goods in nearby shops were also affected due to the proximity of the banks to the market.”

The explosions created chaos in the town, with people fleeing in every direction for their lives. “In the midst of the confusion, the armed men successfully robbed Zenith Bank, UBA, and First Bank. They also killed eight people, including police personnel attached to the banks and some members of the Otukpo vigilante who attempted to confront them.”

The armed men, after successfully robbing the banks, made their escape, shooting into the air to intimidate bystanders, and headed towards Makurdi via the Makurdi-Otukpo Road. “As they drove through the streets of Otukpo, they continued to shoot sporadically, causing panic among the residents.”

Ochi Otukpo Odu, HRH Chief John Eimonye, the traditional ruler of Otukpo, confirmed the incident and stated that security personnel, including soldiers and the police, were in hot pursuit of the robbers. He expressed confidence that the culprits would not escape justice.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent SP Catherine Anene, confirmed the incident but indicated that she was awaiting further details from the police personnel on the ground in Otukpo.