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Families of Ikire, Apomu bank robbery victims cry for justice

TNT Newsline June 4, 2021

Relatives of victims of Wednesday attempted bank robbery in Apomu and Ikire Towns, Osun, have demanded for justice, calling on the police to apprehend the fleeing culprits.

In separate interviews, they said that arrest of the culprits was the only thing that could give justice to those who lost their lives.

It is reported that the police in Osun had earlier confirmed that two police officers, two police special constables and three civilians were killed during the attempted robbery attacks.

All six people were killed in Apomu without any casualty recorded in Ikire during the attacks.

Mr Olufemi Olamoyero, who lost his younger brother, Segun Olamoyero (25), alleged that the police intervention could not come, until after the robbers had left the town.

Olamoyero said: “My brother was on his way back from work around 6.00 p.m when he unknowingly rode his motorcycle to the scene of the robbery, and was hit by a stray bullet. On getting to the scene, he was hit by stray bullets, along with other two persons, in the process of trying to jump off his motorcycle.

“We removed his corpse from the scene after the robbers had left and he was buried this morning. We will be happy, if the police can help apprehend these criminals and make them to face justice. We will also appreciate if government can equip the police with modern gadgets for them to be able to fight crimes effectively,” he said.

Also, Mr Abolaji Oyebola, whose nephew, Toheeb Oyebola, 29, was killed during the robbery attacks, said Apomu Town needed more security personnel.

Oyebola said that his nephew was returning from work when he ran into the robbers and was hit by stray bullets. “Toheeb was returning from work, when he got information that armed robbers were attempting to rob Access Bank in the town.

“He actually took a detour, but unfortunately for him, the alternative route he took is the only motorable road to our house, and is close to the scene of the robbery. We wanted to bury him yesterday, but was delayed till this morning due to the documentation we have to do at the hospital and with the police involvement. So, it was already late to bury him, hence, we have to delay the burial till this morning,” he said.

Oyebola, however, appealed to the police to do everything within their power to ensure that the culprit were caught and brought to book.

Other residents, who spoke on condition of anonymity, urged the government to build police barrack within the three towns of Ikire, Apomu and Ikoyi.

They said that this would ensure adequate security within the town.

The residents also claimed that those killed during the robbery attacks were more than what was reported by the police.

NAN correspondent, who visited the scenes reports that normalcy had since returned to the towns, barely 24 hours after the incident.

It also gathered that there was heavy presence of police, military and members of vigilance group in the towns.

(The Guardian)