Robbers kill policeman, shopkeeper in southern Nigeria

[Richard Akindele]

A mobile policeman and a shopkeeper were shot dead at the weekend by suspected armed robbers in Aba, amajor commercial city in Nigeria's southern state of Abia, the official News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported on Sunday.

The five-member gang also attacked and looted a bank at about 11 a.m., a bank worker was quoted as saying.

The bank worker told reporters on condition of anonymity that the robbers came in a bullion van belonging to one of the banks inthe country, saying the robbers gained access into the bank's strong room and carted away millions of naira (one U.S. dollar equals 130 naira).

He said an official of the bank and a customer sustained bulletwounds and were taken to a hospital by the branch manager for treatment.

According to eyewitnesses, the operation lasted for more than 40 minutes "uninterrupted."

Nosa Osakue, assistant area commander in charge of Aba Area Command of the Police, confirmed the incident, saying the corpse of the police sergeant had been deposited at the Abia State University Teaching Hospital mortuary.

According to him, one policeman was also wounded during the operation. On the incessant robbery in Aba and its environs, he said the police would do their best to curb it.

Hoodlums had in the last one month been having a field day in Aba and neighboring towns of Osisioma, Obingwa and Ugwuanagbo, maiming and dispossessing the inhabitants of their belongings.
Source: Xinhua