Robbers raid bank in Lagos, kill two, cart away large sum

A gang of armed robbers attacked a branch of the United Bank for Africa on Admiralty Way at Lekki Phase 1 Estate, Lagos on Friday, killing two persons.

Also on Friday, two armed robbers on motorcycle attacked an employee of the Adeola Odeku Street, Victoria Island branch of Guaranty Trust Bank, injuring him in the process. A source at the UBA Lekki branch told Saturday Punch that the six robbers arrived the bank’s premises at about 11a.m., presumably by boat through the adjoining waterway. As soon as they entered the premises, they opened fire on the security staff on duty, seriously wounding one of the guards. The security man, the source said, was shot in the buttocks and on one arm before the bandits moved to the entrance of the banking hall, firing gunshots as they entered.

A female cleaner was hit in the process and she died instantly. The robbers shot and killed a male bank staff, as they made their way to the vault, and carted away a large sum of money. Saturday Punch gathered that some other members of staff sustained injuries from the attack. A source at the bank said, “We hope that those wounded will survive the attack. It was a very sad experience, but I can‘t tell you more.”

Another eyewitness claimed that the robbers had operated for about half an hour before a detachment of policemen arrived the scene and engaged them in a fierce gun battle. But the policemen could not match the firepower of the bandits and were thus unable to dislodge them from the bank. While the robbery was going on, the witness said, there was hardly any movement within Lekki Phase 1 Estate.

The branch closed for business after the robbery while some customers who were not aware of the incident were turned back by the bank‘s security guards. This correspondent was prevented from taking photographs of the shattered entrance of the banking hall by the same security men who threatened to hand him over to the police. According to a security man who claimed to have been sent over from the bank‘s head office, the dead and the wounded had been taken to an undisclosed hospital on Victoria Island.

Saturday Punch gathered that it was the second time that armed robbers had raided the bank. The first time was in 2007, but no casualties were recorded.

When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State Police Command, Mr. Frank Mba, said the police responded to the Lekki robbery. He said the bandits, who had intended to snatch a bullion van bringing money to the branch, missed their target.

When the van arrived, according to him, its escorts engaged the robbers in a gunfight and the bandits later escaped by water. He said the marine police were contacted but could not intercept the fleeing bandits.

In the second incident, the robbers, who initially wanted to invade the branch at about 2.20p.m., changed their mind when they saw a large number of policemen guarding the place. They then seized the large amount of money on the bank employee, who was leaving the premises at the time, and fled. The policemen ran after the robbers and caught one of them while the other bandit fled with the money.

Mba said a preliminary investigation revealed that the banker and not the branch was the target of the robbers.