A Ogun State Government accountant, Taiwo Oyekanmi, was shot dead by daredevil armed robbers on Wednesday, who carted away government’s funds in Abeokuta, the state capital.
It was learnt that Oyekanmi had picked up an undisclosed amount of money from a branch of Fidelity Bank in Abeokuta and was heading back to the office when he was waylaid by the gunmen numbering about five.
It was gathered that the armed robbers were said to have intercepted the homemade bullion van while ascending the overhead bridge at Kuto, opened fire on the accountant, broke the bullion van door with a sledgehammer and went away with the government’s money worth millions.
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A source who spoke to Daily Trust said the Director of Finance at the Governor’s office, Oke-Mosan, and other aides who sustained gunshot injuries during the attacks were rushed to the State General Hospital, Ijaye, where the accountant later died.
Confirming the incident, the state Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, said Oyekanmi and other aides didn’t go with a police escort because the person was permitted to attend to some issues.
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Alamutu noted that the command had demanded the bank’s CCTV footage to aid the police’s investigation.
He said, “This afternoon, the accountant, the Director of Finance, with driver and one other person left for Fidelity bank to make some withdrawal, they went homemade bullion van. 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 to today.
“According to the story, 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, they brought out a sledge hammer to force the receptacle where the money was kept open and they left with the money.
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“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 along conference hotel where he lost contact with them.
“The director that was shut was thereafter taken to Ijaye hospital where he eventually gave up the ghost.
“For our investigation, I have directed the area commander to get to the bank and request for the CCTV footage which will give us insight into the vehicle in question and possibility of identifying the culprits if they ever ventured to step out of the vehicle or maybe they just maintained their position in the vehicle.
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“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.”