By G9ija
A bank cash officer and an armed robber were killed on Tuesday in a bullion van attack, police authorities in Abia State have said.
The incident occurred at about 1:13pm at Ntigha junction along the Port Harcourt – Enugu Highway in Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area of the state.
Mr Geoffrey Ogbonna, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, confirmed the incident in a statement in Umuahia, the state capital.
The bullion van, which was escorted by six policemen, was conveying cash from a commercial bank in Aba to Umuahia when it ran into an ambush by armed robbers.
The operatives providing security for the vehicle are “attached to 28 PMF Umuahia and Counter Terrorist Unit Base,” Ogbonna stated.
Following the ambush, the armed robbers opened fire on the van while the driver swerved into the bush. The gunmen later shot and killed the banker, although the driver fled the scene.
In a swift reaction, the police escorts engaged the armed robbers in a shootout, leading to the death of one of the criminals while his AK 47 rifle and three magazines strapped together were recovered.
Ogbonna disclosed that three of the policemen were injured and taken to a hospital for treatment, adding that the bodies of the banker and the armed robber have been deposited at a morgue.
He asked residents and proprietors of medical facilities to report anyone seen or presented with suspected gunshot injuries to the police or other security agencies.