What would have resulted in loss of lives at a community in Oyo State, has been averted, as a suspected dynamite abandoned at the scene of bank robbery exploded leaving two people injured.
Armed robbers, had, on Wednesday, attacked a first generation bank in Okeho, Kajola Local Government Area of Oyo State, where they blew the door with dynamite after gaining entry into the premises.
Oyo State Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Olugbenga Fadeyi, confirmed the explosion of the dynamite on Thursday which injured a policeman and one civilian.
However, three of the armed robbers were apprehended and set ablaze by some angry youths in the failed bank robbery.
Fadeyi said that the explosion occurred when the Commissioner of Police, Nwachuckwu Enwonwu, visited the bank to assess the level of damage on Thursday.
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He said that crowd of angry residents, who had gathered at the bank, requested Enwonwu to release the arrested armed robbers for them to also set ablaze, but he refused.
Fadeyi said that the crowd remained with the policemen who had gone inside the bank to examine the equipment and assess the extent of damage after the robbery.
He said the CP appealed to the crowd to maintain a good distance to allow his men examine the premises but they remained adamant.
”The new dynamite exploded in the process, injuring a police man and a member of the angry crowd,” the police spokesperson said.
Fadeyi said some of the mob attempted to attack the police but that the CP ordered his men to leave the scene to prevent the situation from degenerating to physical attacks.
“The CP went early this morning for on-the-spot assessment of the robbery incident. He saw the suspects burnt near the bank’s gate.
“He discovered that four people were burnt, The security post of the bank shattered with dynamite while a police sergeant was shot dead by the bandits.
‘The CP entered and assessed everywhere. They took cash from the strong room but we can not ascertain the actual amount,” he said.
