ABOUT 17 persons, including a soldier,were, on Wednes-day, reported killed while several others sustained varying degrees of gunshot injuries during a failed bank robbery and a shootout between soldiers and a group of suspected armed robbers.
The incident occured on Akaeze Afikpo/Okigwe expressway while the soldiers were returning from the 24 Engineer Regiment in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.
It was gathered that at least nine of the suspected robbers died in the shoot- out.
The Assistant Director, Army Public Relations of 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Enugu, Lieutenant-Colonel Sagir Musa, who confirmed the development, said the robbers were escaping after a failed bank robbery at Ikom in Cross River State in which nine persons, including a police officer, were killed before they were intercepted by soldiers on routine patrol in Ebonyi State.
“At about 1830 hours on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, there was a failed/foiled bank robbery attack at Ikom in Cross River State which led to the death of eight civilians and a policeman. The robbers fled towards Ebonyi State in two vehicles through Ugep/Abomigbe Road. Soldiers on routine patrol in Ebonyi State were fully informed and subsequently intercepted the robbers on Afikpo/Amasire axis.”
According to Musa, “at that point, there was heavy exchange of fire which resulted in the death of one soldier while two soldiers were wounded. Seven robbers were killed, two were seriously wounded and bled to death before reaching the hospital.”
He further said that six of the suspected robbers escaped with bullet wounds into a nearby bush.
Items recovered from the robbers include two RPG7 bombs, 28 empty magazines, two gas cylinders, 37 empty cases of 7.62 mm special ammu-nition, 22 live rounds of 7.62mm special ammuni-tion and two vehicles.
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