Crimes

Robbers kill Ogun finance director, cart away money

Armed robbers have shot dead the Director of Finance and Accounts at the Ogun State Governor’s Office, Taiwo Oyekanmi, and escaped with the money he withdrew from the bank.

It was gathered that Oyekanmi went to the bank in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, and picked up an undisclosed amount of money.

After leaving the bank, a branch of Fidelity Bank, and heading back to the office, he was stopped by the armed robbers.

It was learnt that the gunmen, about five, shot the accountant dead under the Kuto bridge and made away with the money in his possession.

It was gathered that Oyekanmi and other assistants who sustained gunshot injuries during the attack were then rushed to the State General Hospital at Ijaiye, where the director of finance was confirmed dead.

Confirming the incident, the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, said the accountant was with a driver and one other person, adding that they were with a home-made bullion van.

Alamutu said: “They were supposed to have a police escort, but for certain reasons, the person was permitted to travel to attend to some issues. So, consequently he was not part of the movement.

“According to the report, after making the withdrawal, and on their way back to the office, they were accosted.

“A vehicle blocked them on top of the bridge, five occupants of the vehicle came down, shot at the director, and from their vehicle brought out a sledgehammer to force the receptacle where the money was kept open and they left with the money.

“As at that time, there was no information; the police escort was not with the team and they sped off.

“The driver claimed to have trailed them to a point near Conference Hotel where he lost contact with them.”

The police commissioner added that he had directed the Area Commander to get to the bank and request for the CCTV footage which would give the police an insight into the vehicle in question.

He said: “There is a possibility of identifying the culprits if they ever ventured to step out of the vehicle or maybe they just maintained their position in the vehicle.

“I have reached out to Lagos and everywhere in the command to block all the exits out of the state while we are trying to identify them because they said they were five and they used hood.”

The Star