Pandemonium as robbers take over Benin /Agbor road, shoot passengers

By CHRISTOPHER OJI

There was pandemonium on Saturday afternoon at Ugonoba, before Ugoneki, after Benin Bypass, Edo State, when about 10 armed robbers blocked the Expressway, shot two passengers and robbed other motorists and their passengers.

The heavily armed gunmen had hijacked a truck which they used to barricade the road and started robbing travellers going to the East.

Over 100 vehicles were stocked in the attack which made passengers to scamper for safety.

Some of the drivers started calling other of their colleagues who halted their journey and parked near an Army Check point.

The Soldiers who saw the development as an affront , called for reinforcement and moved to the robbery scene where the robbers were dispersed and the barricade was removed.

The Soldiers assured the motorists and there passengers to proceed on their journey as they have chased away the bandits.

A witness ,John Bewebiluenu, told our correspondent that ,” two persons were shot by the robbers.I don’t think that one of the victims will survive the gunshot injury because he was shot at a close range and in the heart. The other may survive because he was shot in his leg.

“It is a normal thing on this road. It is a daily occurrence as robbers will always block the road on broad daylight on challenge. Sometimes ,they may not be robbers ,but kidnappers who will pick their victims and go with them. This ugly attack happens always immediately you join Ugonoba and Ugoneki .We need presence of security agents on the road.it is a shame that gunmen will have the affront to block the road and be robbing travellers unchallenged. We are in trouble in Edo”. (Saturday Sun)