From Tony John, Port Harcourt
A Police Sergeant was shot dead yesterday, when gunmen attacked a customer at a new generation bank along Aba Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Another persons suspected to be the owner of the money snatched by the robbers was feared killed, following heavy shootout at the bank.
An eyewitness said the gunmen, who drove into the bank premises in a Tayota Corolla car, had laid ambush to a customer who had gone to the bank to withdraw money.
He said as soon as the customer emerged from the bank, after making his withdrawals, the gunmen pounced on him, opening fire on the vehicle.
The eyewitness stated that a bag containing cash was snatched and taken away by the armed robbers
He stated: “I was standing at the bus stop waiting for a taxi to Bori camp. I heard a gun shot and at that point everybody started running. I had to run towards Rumukwurushi end because the gun shot was very severe.
“When the dust settled, most of us ran towards the bank and we saw a vehicle suspected to belong to the customer. The vehicle’s interior was slashed with blood, but we did not see anybody. The victims may have been evacuated. But I cannot confirm whether they were killed in the attack.”
He said incident caused pandemonium at the bank premises as customers scampered for safety.
In a swift reaction, the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Omoni Nnamdi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said policemen foiled a bank robbery.
Nnamdi confirmed that there was serious gun battle between policemen and the robbers, adding that a police personnel died in the incident. He said also that the gunmen escaped with bullet injuries.
He, however, added that normalcy was later restored in the area and urged members of the public to go about their normal business peacefully.