The Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has said that the daredevil robbers who attacked some banks and killed no fewer than seven people in Otukpo on Friday would not get away with their dastardly act.
Otukpo is the political seat of Benue South Senatorial District comprising of Idoma and Igede ethnic groups.
The suspected robbers were said to have driven into the town around 3:15 p.m. and attacked a nearby police station before launching a rain of terror on Zenith Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Stanbic IBTC and First Bank branches in the town.
The robbers were said to have used dynamites to force the door open to gain access to the banks.
Seven people, including policemen and a former councillor transacting business in one of the affected banks, were reportedly killed by the suspected robbers who operated for more than an hour.
In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Sir Tersoo Kula, the governor condemned the attack.
He described the robbery incident as an affront on the state, especially since it took place at the exact time the Security Council meeting was in progress in Government House, Makurdi.
He added that the security agencies were already on the trail of the armed robbers.
Alia sympathised with the families of those who were gruesomely murdered by the robbers.
The governor said, “It is an unfortunate development that people who were on duty, especially police officers, were shot and killed in cold blood by those mindless robbers.
“But they cannot get away with this. Already, security agencies are on their trail and must apprehend and bring them to justice”.
He called on the people of the state to be vigilant and always endeavour to report suspicious movements around them all the time.
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