January 13, 2015 was a sad day for the people of Ikare-Akoko in Akoko North East Area of Ondo State as dare-devil robbers unleashed terror on the community during a bank robbery. DAMISI OJO reports that it was a tale of horror, sorrow, tears and blood.
For the people of Ikare-Akoko in Akoko North East Local government Area of Ondo State, Tuesday, January 13, 2015 was a day they will never forget in a hurry.
The day opened like every normal day and it progressed well until about 4 pm when dare-devil armed who had arrived the town unnoticed hours before descended on the community killing no fewer than 20 residents including four policemen during a bank robbery operation.
The community which is the commercial nerve centre of Akoko land in Ondo State had since the unfortunate incident, been thrown into serious mourning, grief and sorrow as almost every family in the town was affected by the unfortunate incident. Those who did not have their relatives killed in the robbery attack had many of them injured; a development which made the town to wear a mournful look.
The robbers, it was learnt, took the people of the town by surprise having arrived unnoticed hours ahead of the commencement of their operation which reportedly started at 4,00pm and lasted for close to three hours.
During the robbery operation, an undisclosed huge sum of money was carted away by the robbers who stormed a branch of a new generation bank in the town and later moved to the Police station located along Owo Road, where they attacked the Police and in the process killed four officers and left three others severely injured.
At the end of the operation, it was gathered that 15 people including four policemen were killed by the daredevil robbers who disappeared into thin air afterwards, as efforts to apprehend them by both the Police and the community’s vigilante group proved abortive.
Sources in the town informed that the armed robbers in a well planned operation had divided themselves into two groups with one group blocking the police station along Owo road and the other group attacking their targets along Jubilee road in the town.
While the policemen were killed in their station while trying to mobilize to confront the policemen, other victims of the attack including a former chairman of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Mr Kenny Gold were killed at the scene of the operation.
Most of the victims, the sources said were killed while trying to withdraw money from the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) placed at the entrance of the bank. Two undergraduates of Ibrahim Babangida University,Lapai, Niger State were felled by the robbers’ bullet while attempting to withdraw money from the machine. One of them was named as Bode Bello.
Another set of victims, it was learnt were killed within the bank premises while transacting normal banking business.
The robbery incident was said to be the second within a year in the affected new generation bank. The first time the robbers came they struck at night at the bank’s former branch and blew the place into pieces with dynamite. The banks in the town also closed down for days, as a result, in order to guarantee their safety.
A resident of the town Mr Wale Gidado said the armed robbers had stationed some of their groups with a military vehicle in front of the police station while another group was ready for action at the bank area along Jubilee Road in the town.
As one group was attacking the bank with dynamite and grenades in order to get access, Gidado stated that the other group was engaging the policemen who were on duty to prevent them from mobilizing their men to the scene of crime. The operations, he said went on simultaneously in the town as gunshots were reverberating within the ever busy Jubilee road, where the bank was located.
Since the incident Ikare-Akoko has been enveloped with grief and mourning as the people of the town continue to mourn the brutal killing of their people who died in the unfortunate incident, vowing that they would revenge the untimely death of their loved ones.
As a result of the incident all business and commercial activities have since been halted in the town in honour of those who lost their lives in the unfortunate incident.
The people of the town who lamented the invasion of the community by armed bandits numbering about 10 also called on the Inspector General of Police, Mr Suleiman Abba to improve security in and around Ikare-Akoko. They also planned to employ the services of men of the local vigilante group to forestall such occurrence in the future.
The traditional ruler of the town, Oba Akadiri Momoh who condemned the incident urged the Police to investigate the robbery incident which led to the killing of his subjects, just as he urged the law enforcement agents to ensure that the perpetrators of the dastardly act were brought to book.
The monarch who said he had met with other traditional chiefs of the town on the ways to ensure that peace reigns in the ancient town, confirmed that the death toll had risen to over 20 as according to him many of the victims of the robbery attack died after the armed robbers had left the town.
He hinted that since the incident prominent personalities including Senator Bode Olajumoke had visited the town.
Also primary and secondary schools in the town were closed down for two days, while all the markets in the town were also vacated for two days as a mark of honour to those who lost their lives in the robbery incident.
The community, it was gathered has concluded arrangements to use traditional means to seek revenge from the armed robbers who perpetrated the dastardly act. A resident of the town who preferred anonymity said traditionalists have been meeting on measures to take against the robbers.
Meanwhile, the state Police command has expressed its readiness to ensure that the dare devil armed robbers who operated in the community are arrested and brought to justice, stressing that the town would not be left in the hands of robbers.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the state Police command, Mr Wole Ogodo said the Police are still on the trail of the armed robbers and would not hesitate at ensuring that justice was done.
He said peace has finally returned to the ancient town and Police officers will continue to mount surveillance in the area to forestall breakdown of law and order.
He urged the people of the state and the town in particular to remain calm as the Police are on top of the matter and would ensure that justice was done.
Following the attack, it was gathered that customers of the affected bank in Ikare-Akoko now travel to either Owo, Omuo or Oka-Akoko to transact banking business pending the time bank management would be sure of adequate security.
The January 13 incident according to the locals who spoke with’ The Nation was the fifth time such would happen in the community where banks were devastated. And it was the most bloody
as people were being killed like fowls along the route to Iboropa and Akunu by the robbers who shot sporadically as they made good their escape with their huge loots.
An Ikare-Akoko Community leader and business man, Oseni Foyeolona described the situation as a very serious economic set back now that the nation economy is fragile. He symphatised with those who lost their loved ones in the robbery incident.
Another Muslim leader and vice chairman, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in Ondo State,Alhaji Ibrahim Kilani called for fervent prayers to forestall future occurrence, calling for an Army Barracks to the sited in the town by military authorities. Also, chairman, Akoko North East Local Government Area, Hon Lekan Bada called for more security in Akokoland.
An indigene of the area and secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, Rotimi Rahman who came to Ikare shortly after the robbery incident described the situation as a commotion.
According to him, dead bodies littered the community, stressing that he was bereaved because the two undergraduates killed at ATM point were his brothers.
He urged the state government to provide adequate security in Ikare-Akoko to tackle such development in the future.
Governor Olusegun Mimiko while paying condolence visit to Ikare-Akoko said his administration would work with security agencies to apprehend the robbers.
He described the incident as unfortunate, saying all necessary measures were being put in place to forestall future recurrence.
Mimiko was also at Oke-igbede police station which was vandalised by the bandits.
The Commissioner of Police, Isaac Eke promised that the robbers would be apprehended, while the Olukare of Ikare,Oba Akadiri Momoh thanked the governor for his response to the incident.
