Operatives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command and the military have foiled a bank robbery in Abuja.
The robbery attack occurred at First Bank Plc in Abaji on Thursday June 13 around 5: 00 PM.
The security forces engaged robbers in an intense gun duel, forcing them to scamper to safety with various degrees of bullet wounds.
They succeeded in apprehending three suspects, including one Usman reported to be the gang leader.
Other suspects arrested include Nuhu Musa, 41 ‘m’ of Kogi State; and Muhammed Aminu, 25 ‘m’ of Abaji.
A yet-to-be-identified suspect was set ablaze by an irate mob at the scene after security forces neutralised them.
A statement issued on Friday by the FCT Police Public Relations Officers, SP Josephine Adeh said: “In swift response to an armed robbery incident at first bank PLC in Abaji on June 13, 2024, at about 5:00 PM, the FCT police, led by the commissioner of police, CP Benneth C. Igweh, psc, mni, himself, in a combined operation with the military, mobilized to scene and repelled the attack simultaneously carried out on both Abaji Divisional Police headquarters and first bank PLC in Abaji by a group of fifteen armed men who attacked with dynamites in attempt to rob the bank.
“One police operative and the gang leader hit by bullet during the gun duel, were rushed to the hospital, and the doctor on duty confirmed them dead, while others are still receiving treatment.
“While search operation is ongoing to apprehend fleeing suspects with bullet injuries, the commissioner of police FCT, CP Benneth C. Igweh, psc, mni, lauds the effectiveness of the combined operation and reaffirms the command’s unflinching commitment to ensuring that FCT remains inhabitable for criminals, noting that the safety of the residents of FCT is non-negotiable”. (Nation)
