By ALBERT AKPOR
LAGOS — FOUR persons including a London-based Nigerian were shot dead weekend in the Lekki area of Lagos after a gang of armed robbers raided a filling station (names withheld) in the area.

Police sources said the armed gan numbering about 10  had laid siege to the station and was attacking customers as they drove into the station to fill their tanks.

According to sources, the London-based Nigerian identified as Kunle Atanda who was in the country to attend the burial of his mother-in-law  had unsuspectingly driven into the station when he was confronted by gun wielding men.

He was shot in the leg and asked to lie face down even when he reportedly begged the hoodlums to spare him, stressing that he only visited the country a few days ago.

His plea was turned down by the armed men who robbed as many customers as possible of their valuables including cash before shooting their way to escaped.

Vanguard learnt that a team of policemen later arrived the scene moments after the men of the underworld had escaped and evacuated the victims who reports say,  died of excessive bleeding.

When the Police Public Relations Officer Mr. Samuel Jinadu was contacted, he said he was yet to get details of the raid saying, “I will get back to you when I get details of the attack.  But aside that, area is calm.”

However, a source at the filling station told Vanguard that the armed gang stormed the station about 8 p.m. by two vehicles and collected the day’s sales from attendants before attacking customers as they drove in to buy petroleum product.

According to the source, ‘The armed robbers took their time in their operation and were robbing one customer to the other as if there were no policemen in the state.  When they were satisfied, they released some bullets into the air and zoomed off.”