Policemen flee as robbers shoot bank customer dead in front of Imo Government House

Tragedy struck yesterday in-front of Imo State Government House, as robbers who trailed their unsuspecting victim and his wife, in a Camry Salon Car, after they withdrew money from one of the banks along the popular Cathedral Road in Owerri metropolis, shot him dead after snatching the money from him.

It was gathered that the robbers who caught up with their victim before the Okigwe roundabout, directly opposite Government House, shot sporadically into the air before ordering their victim to hand over the money. When he resisted, they shot him three times, snatched the money and took off through Okigwe Road.

Here's what an eyewitness said;

“I was at the newspaper stand across the road, just before the Okigwe roundabout, around 11a.m, when I heard a gunshot and then two young men in a Camry car blocked a man and his wife driving in another car.

“They asked the man to hand over the money. The woman ran out of the car, but the man refused to hand over the money to them. One of the robbers shot him three times and collected the money from him. I don’t know if he died.”

The eyewitness also disclosed that policemen, including personnel of the NSCDC at the roundabout opposite Government House, fled as soon as the robbers shot in the air.

Another witness  recounted his experience:

 “I was four cars behind. When I heard gunshots, it dawned on me that those in the Camry were robbers, because the way they overtook me made me wonder where they were hurrying to.

After snatching the money, they were shooting into the air, which sent people running in different directions, including the policemen at the Okigwe roundabout junction."

Daily Sun reports that the State's Police Public Relations Officer, confirmed the incident and disclosed that the victim was confirmed dead at the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri.