By TheNewspad Desk
Tragedy was averted late Tuesday when suspected armed robbers attacked and robbed Point of Sale (PoS) agents near the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) annex on Akpakpava Road junction by the King Square in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State.
Pandemonium broke out after the military base and Edo State Security Corps personnel at King Square had left and retired to their respective bases, leaving behind traders and young loiterers popularly called ‘Elema’, who watched with dismay.
The hoodlums stormed the area at about 11:40 p.m. in an operational van and robbed PoS agents, including a woman identified as ‘Mama’, who reportedly lost the sum of N200,000 in cash and her mobile phone.
A security guard at an old-generation bank said a cab driver escaped a gunshot fired at him during the 20-minute operation.
The driver was attempting to assist a female PoS agent in removing her apron, which contained cash strapped to her chest, when the gunmen emerged.
Outsmarted by a hoodlums’ order, the driver was shot at, but he tripped on banana peels on the ground and narrowly escaped the bullet, while the attacker forcefully collected the apron and cash before leaving the crime scene.
A witness and female bread vendor stated that the hoodlums had earlier posed as clients, requesting a N100,000 cash transaction from a PoS vendor to locate where cash deposits and vending machines were kept.
She questioned why Bank security agents around the area and police operatives from the Oba market Division, located within 100 meters of the crime scene, failed to show up and launch offensive against the hoodlums.
“It has been a long time we witnessed this kind of incident in this area. Unbelievably, no security agent in any of the Banks could come to our rescue.
“Police didn’t event show up as everyone of us were running helter-skelter when the guys came around. The robbers settled down and robbed PoS agents. They were not in a hurry at all. They were armed and ready to battle.
“That lucky cab man who stood beside Mama would have been killed, but he missed his steps after stepping on banana peels and that was the bullet passed over his head, just because he wanted to save the woman’s money”, she lamented.
Also speaking, an off-duty bank security guard, Emma, who moonlights as a PoS agent in the area, expressed relief that he was not working that evening.
“Yesterday (Tuesday) night, there was mad rush for cash. A lot of people wanted money. But, when I came out something in me keeps telling me not to hustle, and return home.
“After a while I heeded to the voice, and I did not work that day. The scene was like a movie”, according to him, they (hoodlums) left the cab man on the ground probably because they thought he was dead”.
Investigation revealed that the same hoodlums had previously robbed guests at a popular bar on the Ekehuan Road axis in Benin before targeting the PoS vendors late Tuesday, raising fresh concern about public safety.
A response from the spokesperson of the Nigeria police Command, ASP Eno Ikoedem regarding the alleged crime is being awaited.
