Two persons were shot dead on Monday as armed robbers attacked a branch of an old generation Bank in Aramoko-Ekiti, headquarters of Ekiti West local government area of Ekiti State.

A policeman and a Special Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) were killed in the attack, which lasted for close to 30 minutes.

The armed robbers, who came to the town via Igede-Ado Ekiti road, it was gathered, arrived at the bank premises after the working hours and blew the main door with dynamite to gain entry into the banking hall.

An eyewitness revealed to journalists in Ado-Ekiti that the gun-wielding robbers opened fire on the policeman on guard while the FRSC Special Marshal, who was in his private vehicle, ran into the barricade mounted by the armed robbers to prevent external forces from the axis and was shot in the process.

The source added that the effect of the dynamite threw the town into pandemonium as some houses and shops in the area were affected.

The armed robbers were said to have escaped through the newly constructed Erijiyan-Ikogosi road.

It was the second time the bank would be robbed, having experienced a similar attack in the year 2010.

When contacted, the Ekiti State Command Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Sunday Abutu, who confirmed the incident, said that two persons were killed in the robbery attack.

“It was an attempted robbery, but they were repelled. Even our men and officers of Rapid Response Squad gave them a hot chase and recovered two vehicles they used for the operation.

“The policeman they killed was outside the bank while the FRSC special marshal was also shot at a distance to the bank.

“The police have swung into action and we will make sure that we get to the root of this matter,” the PPRO stated.

TodayNG