From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
The Osun State Police Command has confirmed that two police officers were killed in a Wema Bank robbery in Iragbiji, Boripe LGA.
In a statement in Osogbo on Wednesday, police spokesperson SP Yemisi Opalola disclosed that two inspectors were killed by the robbers.
The deceased – Ogunbiyi Ahmed and Odeyemi Ayinla – were killed by the robbers numbering about twenty.
Opalola said that policemen and other local securities are still on the trail of the robbers, assuring that they would be caught.
She explained that the armed robbers numbering about twenty came in commando-like style with about four vehicles and simultaneously attacked Iragbiji Divisional Police Headquarters and Wema Bank Iragbiji.
‘The robbers invaded the Police Divisional Headquarters and Wema Bank with sporadic shooting and launching of explosive devices in an attempt to disorganize, incapacitate and destabilize the police who were in a fierce gun battle with them while robbing Wema Bank simultaneously.
‘As a result, some parts of Divisional Police Headquarters was damaged. The daredevils also shot at a Police Armoured Personnel Carrier tyres with explosive devices.
‘The robbers in a bid to gain entry into the bank blew off its security door with dynamite, ATM machine was also destroyed but an attempt to break into the bank strong room was foiled.
‘It is very unfortunate that in the course of the incident, and during the hot pursuit of the fleeing bandits, two police inspectors namely; Inspector Ogunbiyi Ahmed and Inspector Odeyemi Ayinla respectively, were shot dead.
‘The robbers on sighting the policemen comprising police tactical teams with local security outfits who promptly engaged them in a fierce gun duel took to a flight and abandoned their unexploded dynamite and two of their vehicles.
‘The police jointly with local security outfits have been combing the bushes in a bid to arrest the robbers, believed to have escaped with multiple injuries,’ the police spokesperson stated.