There was confusion in some parts of Uyo metropolis, including Access Bank vicinity along Wellington Bassey way following a robbery attack.
One person was shot by the police directly opposite the bank in the confusion that trailed the robbers’ movement at the bank’s vicinity.
The man, whose name is yet to be ascertained, was shot at the hand by the police while he was trying to pick stolen money from the fleeing robbers.
The robbers had trailed a government official in an official vehicle with registration number AK705 CO1, from one of the new generation banks at Abak Road, where he withdrew an undisclosed amount of money to Brooks Street, where he was finally dispossessed of the cash.
Sources close to Brooks Street, where the victim was ambushed said it took the robbers several minutes before finally gaining access to the cash in the boot of the car.
It was gathered that one of the tyres of the car the robbers used got punctured as result of police bullets close to Access Bank by Wellington Bassey Way, leaving the robbers in great confusion.
But an eye witness told The Next Edition in Uyo on Wednesday that the robbers, in a desperate move to safeguard their loots, attacked a woman in a Toyota Camry car and dispossessed her car, which they used to transfer their loots before moving on.
When our correspondent visited the scene there was blood stain and pandemonium in the area.
“The robbers were coming from Barracks Road, and on reaching here (opposite Access Bank), one of the tyres of the car punctured, so they attacked a woman in Toyota Camry. They seized her car and started transferring the money into their car before they moved away,” a source who craved anonymity said.
“One man who ran to pick some of the cash that fell from the robbers in the process of transferring the money into the hijacked Toyota car was shot by the police” the source further stated.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Ike Ikechukwu, confirmed the incident but could not give details as at press time.
He said he had contacted the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of the area but was yet to be briefed fully.
When our correspondent visited the area command in Uyo, along the Wellington Bassey Way, the DPO was not on seat to speak to journalists.
But a police source at the station said the matter was under investigation.
Next Edition… Always Ahead!
