Armed robbers kill policeman, guard, rob First Bank, UBA

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According to a report by Punch, the invasion by the gunmen has left palpable fear in Lapai since Wednesday, November 29, 2017.

It was also reported that the bandits, who besieged the community, were in their multitudes as they created fear and tension by blocking entry into the community with vehicles and continuous gunshots.

The report also revealed that while some members of the gang mounted roadblocks to checkmate possible intervention by security operatives, some took to the bank to rob while others marched to the community's police division, where they also wrecked havoc.

A resident account of the incident showed that the robbers packed stolen cash from the banks in two cars belonging to bank workers and zoomed off to where their vehicles were parked after which they dumped one of the cars and fled with another as well as their vehicles.

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The resident also stressed that when some 'brave youths' of the community tried attacking the armed robbers by hauling stones at them, they were repelled with gunshots leaving one dead and several others severely injured with gunshot wounds.

Several robbery cases have been reported in 2017 with the Nigerian police also arresting a handful of the accussed.

The incident, which was confirmed by the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 7, Abuja, Salisu Fagge, has been described as unfortunate.

Fagge said he was sent by the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to sympathise with the affected banks and assess the level of damage done by the hoodlums.

He said, “The Lapai Police Division needed to be strengthened to avert a recurrence of the ugly incident.”

In the same vein, the Niger State Commissioner of Police, Austin Agbonlahor, said no arrest had been made.

Agbonlahor said detectives had commenced investigations into the robbery, adding that they had recovered a Toyota Corolla with number plate, KRD 561 AJ, Lagos.