By Jake Aimuan.
There were conflicting reports about the attack by gunmen on a bullion van on Thursday afternoon along the the Ughelli-Asaba expressway in Delta State with the state police command denying reports that the hoodlums carted away an unknown amount of money during the attack.
The bandits reportedly hijacked a bullion van belonging to an unnamed commercial bank at Otor-Owhe, an agrarian community in Isoko North Local Government Area of the state, on the relatively busy dual carriageway, firing at the vehicle and shattering some of its glasses, including the windscreen.
Sources around the area at the time of the incident claimed that the daredevil armed men proceeded to empty the bullion van of its cash content by transferring same into their getaway vehicle before speeding away from the scene to an unknown destination.
The fearsome robbers, said to number about seven, had forced the driver of the bullion van to stop abruptly by the sporadic shots at the vehicle.
It could, however, not be ascertained whether there was any casualty due to the attack but the police account indicated that the attack by the armed robbers was unsuccessful.
Reacting to the incident, Thursday evening, the Delta State Police spokesman, Mr Bright Edafe, a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), denied that the robbers had carted away an undetermined amount of money from the bullion van.
He said that no money could have been stolen by the attackers as the bullion van was not carrying money when the bandits struck.
“This is to inform journalists and members of the media that no money was carted away during the bullion van attack, as the bullion van was empty as it was heading for Asaba to convey money to Warri”, the spokesman said, adding that the police officers escorting the bullion van repelled the attack by engaging the robbers in a gun duel.
Edafe stated that contrary to reports making the rounds especially on the social media, “The hoodlums escaped with gunshot injuries after the gun duel with our men”, but were take away by their gang members in the two Toyota Sienna vehicles they used for the operation.
However, he revealed that a policeman and the driver of the bullion van sustained injuries during the attack.
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