Story highlights Nine police officers and seven residents killed in coordinated attack, police say

Lagos, Nigeria (CNN) Armed robbers in central Nigeria used dynamite to blow up a vault in a bank, killing 16 people, a police spokesman told CNN

More than 20 bank robbers were involved in the robbery Thursday in the remote town of Offa, Kwara State, the police told CNN.

The men, armed with assault rifles, attacked three banks and fired at a police station.

"They attacked the police station first and killed nine police officers," Ajayi Okasanmi, spokesman Kwara State Police told CNN.

Seven people hit by stray bullets were killed in the operation that lasted for an hour, he said, adding that the robbers escaped.

Read More</s>More than 20 bank robbers were involved in the robbery Thursday in the remote town of Offa, Kwara State, the police told CNN.

The men, armed with assault rifles, attacked three banks and fired at a police station.

"They attacked the police station first and killed nine police officers," Ajayi Okasanmi, spokesman Kwara State Police told CNN.

Seven people hit by stray bullets were killed in the operation that lasted for an hour, he said, adding that the robbers escaped.

"They shot sporadically while they were trying to enter two banks in the area. We could not engage with them instantly to avoid injuring more civilians in the attack," he said. They broke into two banks but were unable get into other banks in the commercial area of the town, Okesanmi added. Residents told CNN the armed robbers who came in five vehicles shot at traders, injuring many while they escaped. Nigeria's Senate leader Bukola Saraki condemned the attack Friday on Facebook saying government remained relentless until the robbers were made to face the "full wrath of the law".</s>BREAKING: Many killed as armed robbers attack 5 banks in Offa Kwara State

The post BREAKING: Many killed as armed robbers attack 5 banks in Offa Kwara State appeared first on INFORMATION NIGERIA.

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This post was syndicated from INFORMATION NIGERIA. Click here to read the full text on the original website.</s>Armed robbers on Thursday evening raided banks in Offa town of Kwara State.

The robbers shot sporadically forcing residents and businesses to close shop in the Sanni Aba area of the town.</s>Robbers attacked two banks and a police station, killing 15 people including nine police officers in Offa, central Nigeria, police learned Friday.

Late Thursday afternoon, “a gang of robbers invaded police and bank headquarters in Offa,” Ajayi Okasanmi, police spokesman in Kwara State, told AFP.

“We lost nine policemen and six civilians. We have wounded people who are currently being treated in hospital,” he said, adding that they were “simultaneous operations.

He added that the police officers had been attacked by surprise, without however detailing the precise circumstances under which the victims had been killed.

“It would have been worse if the police had retaliated forcefully, but we would have endangered the lives of civilians” at the scene of the attacks, the spokesman added.

The police station and banks targeted by the armed assailants are located in the commercial district of Offa, a locality of about 100,000 inhabitants in Kwara State.

The Kwara authorities ordered a “thorough investigation” to facilitate the arrest of the robbers.

“It is purely a criminal act, we do not attribute it to any particular group,” he said.

However, the police were not able to indicate immediately what amounts were stolen from the banks under attack.

According to a witness who wished to remain anonymous, the heavily armed robbers arrived in a group of about fifteen and split into two groups, one attacking the banks and the other the police station, “where they opened fire indiscriminately, killing several police officers”.

In the banks, they “shot people they saw inside, many in the head,” he said. “They took money from the banks in bags before they fled on motorcycles that were taken from their drivers.”

Robberies and kidnappings for ransom are very frequent in Nigeria, a giant country of 180 million inhabitants that is also affected by several armed conflicts, including the jihadist insurrection of Boko Haram in the north-east.

The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, elected in 2015, has deployed the army in recent months in many states across the country to contain violence and compensate for the lack of responsiveness of police forces and an effective judicial system.</s>Robbers kill four policemen, six others in Kwara

Robbers bearing sophisticated weapons invaded Kwara State town of Offa yesterday, killing no fewer than 10 people including four policemen and raided five banks in a commando-like manner.

Gaining access to the town from Ijagbo in the western end, the robbers shot sporadically, killing four policemen at a police station in the entrance to town, and six others, including passers-by. A commercial motorcyclist was among the dead, according to eyewitnesses.

They reportedly used dynamite to break the vaults of the commercial houses made up of three new generation and two old generation banks.

Eyewitnesses who recalled the deadly incident told our reporter on the telephone that “The robbers carted away substantial amount of money from the banks’ vaults. They blew open the security of the banks with dynamite. Many passers-by were hit by stray bullets. A commercial motorcyclist was among those killed.”

It was gathered that the bandits, numbering about 15, came in about four vehicles. They blocked access to the town from Ilorin and Osogbo. They operated for about one hour from around 4:30pm.

They reportedly escaped from the town with their loot through Igosun area.

Bodies were seen in some parts of the town where the policemen operated after their departure.

The injured were taken to the Offa Genera Hospital.

Kwara State police Spokesman Ajayi Okasanmi who confirmed the raid, said victims included policeman and other individuals.

He promised to make details available after full investigation.

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This post was syndicated from The Nation Nigeria. Click here to read the full text on the original website.</s>A gang of armed robbers on Thursday raided some commercial banks in Offa, Kwara, killing some policemen and residents as well as carting away an undisclosed amount of cash in the process. The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that the heavily armed hoodlums had attacked the Owode Police Station in the metropolis where they killed […]

The post Robbers attack Offa again, kill policemen, residents appeared first on The Herald Nigeria Newspaper.

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This post was syndicated from The Herald Nigeria Newspaper. Click here to read the full text on the original website.</s>How Armed Robbers Stormed Banks And Killed 9 Policemen, 1 Pregnant Woman, 7 Others In Kwara State

Dreaded armed robbers stormed Offa local government area in Kwara state on Thursday and killed nine policemen, 1 pregnant woman and many others, including residents and bank customers. According to Punch report, the robbers who numbered close to 30 robbed five banks for more than one hour. The banks allegedly affected by the raids […]

The post How Armed Robbers Stormed Banks And Killed 9 Policemen, 1 Pregnant Woman, 7 Others In Kwara State appeared first on Timeofgist.

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This post was syndicated from Timeofgist. Click here to read the full text on the original website.</s>Four persons have been killed and several others injured after suspected robbers attacked a popular commercial bank in Offa, Kwara State.

A resident of the area, who gave her name as Bosun, told DAILY POST that no security personnel confronted the robbers throughout the operation.

The robbers, she said, shot sporadically forcing residents and businesses to close shop in the Sanni Aba area of the town.

“Those of us close to the banks were indoors, while some were taking cover elsewhere. Heavy gunshots were heard and dynamites were being used.

“The operation lasted for more than one hour. When we went out after the operation, four persons were already killed,” the source told our reporter on Thursday.</s>‘The robbers and killers must be arrested’ — Saraki

Senate President Bukola Saraki says those behind the robbery and killings in the Offa, Kwara state, must be arrested and brought to book. Armed robbers raided some commercial banks in the town on Thursday, killing some police officers and residents. The robbers carted away an undisclosed amount of cash. They were said to have operated […]

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This post was syndicated from The Herald Nigeria Newspaper. Click here to read the full text on the original website.
Around 20 armed robbers attack a police station with guns and a bank with dynamite in Offa, Kwara State, Nigeria. The shooting kills nine and the explosion kills seven.