Detectives investigating the recent robbery incident at Ogbagi in the Akoko North West Local Government Area of Ondo State have begun investigations by interrogating the branch manager of the affected bank.
The interrogation of the branch manager took place on Friday last week, following the invasion of the bank by armed robbers numbering about eight. The robbers were said to have laid siege to the bank for hours, having overpowered the security officers attached to the branch, killing four persons, before making away with millions of naira.
As a matter of fact, detectives investigating the robbery incident were said to be working on insiders’ theory. Aside from the branch manager, a handful of staff too, were said to have been questioned as the police worked on many other leads.
Meanwhile, insider sources, both at the Ondo State Police Command and the bank’s Lagos head office hinted that the invasion of the bank caught the management and the workers unawares, as the suspected robbers, who initially pretended to be customers, reportedly brandished guns with which they attacked the customers.
The aggressive robbers were said to have entered into the banking hall at noon and shortly after ordered customers to lie face down.
Apparently angered by the noncompliance to their instructions by some customers, the robbers shot indiscriminately, killing three and injuring others in the process. Having overpowered their victims and cordoned off the entire environment, the suspected armed robbers were said to have made for the strong room, which they emptied, leaving sorrow, tears and blood in their wake. Eye witness accounts had it further that “the operation lasted about an hour.”
The bank commiserates with the people of the town, especially families of those killed and has expressed readiness to assist law enforcement agencies in their investigations to unravel the circumstances behind the attack
“The police at Oke -Egako did not respond to distress calls on time. By the time they finally managed to come, the robbers had gone with their loot,” said Mr. Debo Ajilo, a resident of the town.
Speaking with The Point on the incident, the Head, Corporate Communications of Skye Bank, Mr. Rasheed Bolarinwa, confirmed to The Point that the Cash Centre of the bank was attacked by robbers at about 1:30pm.
“The attack saw the armed gang shooting sporadically upon approaching the bank, and in the process killed one of the two mobile guards, a regular external guard at the bank and a customer,” he said.
Bolarinwa added that the robbers carted away some money on the counter, when they forcibly gained entry into the hall. “The bank commiserates with the people of the town, especially families of those killed and has expressed readiness to assist law enforcement agencies in their investigations to unravel the circumstances behind the attack; assuring its customers of restoration of normal banking business in the shortest possible time,” he said. Skye Bank was still smarting from management crisis, occasioned by weak assets quality, when the robbery incident occurred.
