Armed robbers dressed in military camouflage have stormed a local bank, in Tiine Nune settlement in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue state, carting away huge sums of money.
Sources from the area told journalists on the phone that the incident took place on Sunday morning when the organizers and members had gathered to make their thrusts as usual.
The source said that about five officials of a local bank, “Adashi” in local parlance, were kidnapped during the incident.
According to the source, “What happened at Tiine Nune settlement in Ukum LG this morning is that, there is Share Bam in that place and they contribute a lot of cash there. So unknown gunmen came with Bajaj motorcycles and collected the whole money and went away with some of the officials including one Chijioke and Terna Swack.”
The source who stated that a Toyota Corolla belonging to one of the officials was taken, said the villagers gave the kidnappers a hot chase but could not catch them as they escaped to Katsina Ala villages where they came from.
When contacted, Chairman of Ukum LGA, Mr. Steve Ayua, confirmed the robbery incident saying “Yes, some people came in from Katsina Ala axis to rob local people who were doing “adashi.” The robbers were in military camouflage and were shooting sporadically to scare everybody and this made people to run away.
“So I am not sure whether they took people away or they also ran for their lives. I can not confirm to you now that anybody was abducted but the local people gathered and were having their “adashi.”
“When they came, the community volunteer guard that we launched is very alert and would have confronted them if it were not to be military camouflage. We have soldiers who are around here patrolling.
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“The people came on motorbike from Adako side in Katsina Ala LGA
But the people that are not seen now are two local officials of the adashi. They are not sure whether they ran away or kidnaped. Police are already on it, they will confirm if actually it is abduction.”
Another resident who didn’t want to be named also told our correspondent that “It wasn’t an incident of kidnapping. It was pure armed robbery incident. Some people organized one local bam at Tiine Nune and armed robbers came and robbed them where they were doing the Adashi. They normally do it on Sundays.
“Maybe they got information that they were also doing it this morning. As they were gathering the money, they just came from that Katsina Ala side, took the money they had and went back. I don’t know the exact amount.
“Security people were alerted immediately but before they could reach the place, the armed robbers ran back to where they came from.”
The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Catherine Anene, could not be reached as at the time of filing this report.
