Two policemen and two civillians have been shot dead, as armed robbers numbering about seven attacked a bullion van at the Idi Ape, Iwo Road area of Ibadan, Oyo State capital.
The bullion van was coming from Iwo Road Area when it was attacked by the robbers who shot sporadically into the air to scare the passersby.
The attack, which happened at about 1.00 p.m. on Thursday, left people scampering for safety as the exchange of gunshots between the robbers and security agents attached to the bullion van lasted for some minutes, with the robbers going away with unspecified amount of money.
Commuters were forced to abandon their cars in the middle of the road as security operatives struggled to repel the attack.
The Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Ngozi Onadeko, who conducted an on-the-spot assessment of the scene of the crime, confirmed that two policemen were killed.
She, however, said that one of the robbers was also shot dead during the attack but that other members of the gang escaped with his body.
While describing the attack as a coordinated one, Onadeko said all exit points in Ibadan have been placed on red alert as, according to her, the move is to prevent the fleeing suspects from escaping.
“It is a coordinated attack which we are still trying to find out what happened because they trailed the bullion van from where it went to get money…,” the CP said.
“I can’t definitely say now what actually went wrong. We are trying our possible best to get them. Two of my men were shot in the leg, let us investigate and we will be able to give you more details,” CP Onadeko said.
The police commissioner stated further that Ibadan is under lockdown with the State Police Command working closely with other security agencies in tracking down the fleeing robbers.
Meanwhile, a series of amateur videos show some commuters with gunshot wounds and two policemen lying motionless after the gun duel with the robbers.
It is unclear how much money the robbers made away with but police authorities say measures are in place to prevent escape for the suspects as investigations begin to unravel those behind this audacious attack.
See more photos from the scene below:
