It has been revealed that the gunmen who attacked and stole millions of naira from a Zenith Bank branch in Owerri, the Imo State capital on Wednesday, carried out the attack with one of the guns stolen from the police in 2016.
According to Punch Metro, the gunmen had trailed a rich bank customer to the financial institution and robbed him of the millions he came to deposit.
The criminals, who opened fire upon arrival apparently to scare people away, shot three police men attached to the bank and four customers during the operation which lasted half an hour.
However, one of the four-man gang was shot dead by a plain-clothes police officer guarding the bank, while the three others escaped in a grey Toyota camry, shooting into the air.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Andrew Enwerem, confirmed that one AK-47 Rifle with 100 rounds of ammunition that was snatched from a policeman on November, 24, 2016, was used by the robbers during the operation.
He, however said that the police recovered it from the dead robber with three magazines.
The Police spokesperson said, “Today at about 1510hrs, there was distress call that Zenith Bank situated along Wetheral Road, Owerri was under attack. The CP Command Imo State, CP Taiwo Lakanu, led a combined team of Police patrol and Detectives to the scene.
“On arrival, the operatives engaged the four armed robbers that arrived the bank with an ash Toyota Camry in a shootout.
“At the end of the shootout, three police men sustained various degrees of gunshot injuries.”
“One of the armed robbers was shot dead and one AK-47 Rifle with 100 rounds of ammunition that was earlier snatched from a policeman on November 24, 2016 was recovered from the dead armed robber with three magazines.
“Others robbers escaped with serious gunshot injuries”
“The wounded policemen are receiving treatment in the hospital. Police operatives are intensifying patrols for the arrest of the fleeing robbers. The robbers could not gain entrance into the banking hall following the swift response of police operatives.”
