Police say they’re on the suspects’ trail
Gunmen kill Ogun Governor’s office finance director
Suspected armed robbers on Wednesday in Abeokuta shot dead the Director of Finance and Accounts of the Ogun State Governor’s Office, Mr Taiwo Oyekanmi, and escaped with the money, which he had just withdrawn from the bank.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Oyekanmi, who had picked up an undisclosed amount of money, was trailed by the assailants.
It was gathered that after leaving the bank, a branch of Fidelity Bank in Abeokuta, and was heading back to the office, he was stopped by the gunmen.
The gunmen, who were about five, shot the accountant dead under the Kuto Bridge and made away with the money in his possession.
Oyekanmi and other assistants, who sustained gunshot injuries during the attack, were then rushed to the State General Hospital at Ijaiye, where he later died.
Confirming the incident, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Abiodun Alamutu, said the late Oyekanmi was with a driver and one other person and they were with a home-made bullion van.
The CP said: “They were supposed to have a police escort, but for certain reasons, the person was permitted to travel to attend to some issues.
“So, consequently he was not part of the movement.
“According to the report, after making the withdrawal, and on their way back to the office, they were accosted.
“A vehicle blocked them on top of the bridge, five occupants of the vehicle came down, shot at the director and from their vehicle brought out a sledge hammer to force the receptacle where the money was kept open and they left with the money.
“As at that time there was no information, the police escort was not with the team and they sped off.
“The driver claimed to have trailed them to a point near Conference Hotel where he lost contact with them.
Alamutu said further that he had directed the Area Commander to get to the bank and request for the CCTV footage which would give the police an insight into the vehicle in question.
“There is a possibility of identifying the culprits if they ever ventured to step out of the vehicle or may be they just maintained their position in the vehicle.
“I have reached out to Lagos and everywhere in the command to block all the exits out of the state, while we are trying to identify them because they said they were five and they used hood,” he said.
The Secretary to the State Government, Mr Tokunbo Talabi, has already visited the late accountant’s residence to commiserate with the family.(NAN)
