By Dayo Johnson

Akure—FIFTEEN persons, including four policemen, were feared killed during a bank robbery in Ikare area of Ondo State, yesterday.

Eleven of those feared killed were transacting business inside the banking hall and the ATM of the first generation bank.An unspecified amount of money was reportedly carted away by the robbers.

A police station on Ikare/Owo Road was their first port of call, where four of the policemen on duty were gunned down, while others fled.
After the attack on the police station, the robbers, said to be dressed in army uniform, headed for the bank located on Jubilee Road.

According to an eyewitness, the entrance of the bank and the strong room were reportedly attacked with dynamite by the gang, which reportedly split into two groups on arrival at about 3p.m.

Vanguard learned that their dressing deceived the security men at the bank.

The security men, according to sources, thought that they were in the bank to transact business only to discover later that they were robbers.

It was gathered that the robbers carried out their operation unhindered for over one hour, following the havoc they had earlier wreaked on the police station.

The police station was deserted, following the attack and the killing of the policemen by the robbers. They were said to have come in two military vehicles. Vanguard learned that after the robbery, they fled through the road to Edo State.

Contacted, the police image maker, Wole Ogodo, said he had not been briefed on the robbery.

Meanwhile, there was tension in the town after the robbery incident.