By Gbenga Ariyibi
Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State capital was yesterday thrown into confusion following an attempted bid by a group of armed bandits to rob a first generation bank.

The armed bandits who were said to have arrived the state capital early in the morning through llesa in the neigbouring Osun State, stormed the first generation bank at about 10.15 a.m with two cars, including the latest Camry car.

The attempted robbery came barely a week after some dreaded robbers struck in Akure, in the neigbouring Ondo State capital where no fewer that five people were reportedly killed.

At the popular Fajuyi Park, the robbers numbering eight were said to have shot indiscriminately into the air to scare people away, as they made a  futile bid to enter the banking hall.

However, the robbery incident was foiled through the quick intervention of the men of the state police command led by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP, Mr Uchenna Nwakamma who quickly chased them out of the state.

Following the attempted bid to rob the bank, signal was sent to other commercial banks in the state capital whose management decided to close the banking activities temporarily.

Virtually all the banks in the state capital were closed as at the time newsmen moved round the state capital, at about 2.00 p.m., for on the spot assessment.

Some staff of the bank who spoke with newsmen on telephone under the condition of anonymity said they had been instructed to return to their houses for the day.

The police boss, Nwamaka who spoke with newsmen after the attempted robbery said it was mere speculation that robbers visited the state to rob a particular bank.

In his own reaction, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO of the state police command, Mohammed Jimoh (ASP) dismissed the rumour as mere speculation, saying that police has put check-points on all the entries to the state, and urged members of the public to go about their normal duties.