Residents of Igede, headquarters of Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area, are in panic following a bloody attack on an old generation bank in the town by suspected armed robbers Wednesday evening.
The seven-man gang swooped on the bank located on Ado-Aramoko-Ilesa Highway at about 5.50 pm and shot sporadically into the air.
Residents disclosed that human and vehicular traffic were halted by the hoodlums who positioned themselves within and outside the bank premises.
The attack caught bank workers and locals living nearby unawares as the bank had officially closed for the day at the time the robbers stuck.
A worker of the bank, and a security guard were shot dead by the robbers during the operation that latest about 20 minutes.
The robbers, during the attack, blew up the Automated Tellers Machine (ATM) with bullets, which caused panic within the vicinity of the bank.
Igede was the latest Ekiti community to taste the bitter pill of bank robbery.
Other communities that had witnessed bank robberies in recent times are Ado, Ikere, Ilasa, Ikere, Ifaki, Otun, Okemesi and Ilawe.
A visit to Igede on Thursday showed residents wearing mournful looks gathering in groups to discuss the bank robbery.
Police spokesman Caleb Ikechukwu who confirmed the incident said men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) were deployed to the scene who exchanged gunfire with the robbers.
Ikechukwu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said the robbers later fled the scene and were pursued by the SARS men until the they escaped into a thick forest at a location between Igede and Ilawe.
He disclosed that the guard, who was shot in the head died within the premises of the bank, while the injured staff died in the hospital.
According to him, the forest has been rounded up by the police and his men are combing the bush in search of the robbers.
Follow Us on Facebook – @LadunLiadi; Instagram – @LadunLiadi; Twitter – @LadunLiadi; Youtube – @LadunLiadiTV for updates