4 People Killed, As Armed Robbers Attack 5 Banks In Offa Kwara State {Photos}

There was pandemonium earlier today in Offa, Kwara state after gunmen stormed the area for a bank robbery operation.

Ten persons have been confirmed dead after the Offa bank robbery in Kwara State yesterday Thursday. The dead included four policemen, about six other residents and bank customers.

Armed robbers had invaded commercial banks in Kwara State town of Offa yesterday. The banks robbed include branches of Guaranty Trust Bank, Eco Bank, First Bank, Union Bank and Zenith Bank.

The Offa bank robbery lasted for over an hour.

The Offa bank robbers invaded the town a few minutes past 4 p.m and shot into the air sporadically to scare away residents and passersby before the operation began.

An eyewitness, identified as Mrs. Tijani, said the thieves came in large numbers, and split themselves into teams to carry out the operations in different banks.

Sources in the town said the robbers blew up entrances into the banks with dynamite, before carting away money from the five banks.

Mrs Tijani said:
“ They used something like bomb to break into Union Bank, ” she said.

Also , a student of Federal Polytechnic Offa, Dennis Ifeoluwa, explained that gunshots and heavy sounds filled the air.  Business activities and vehicular movement ceased during the operation.
      "I was coming from where I'm undergoing my industrial training when these sounds started. I had to hide myself somewhere."
"After a while they left. Only to discover dead bodies outside. I saw someone's intestines outside today," he narrated.

The robbers then invaded the community police station known as Owode Police Station where some police officers and a few civilians were shot dead.

Reacting to the Offa bank robbery , the Kwara State Police Public Relations Officer, ajayi Okasanmi, told PREMIUM TIMES that the command could not immediately confirm casualty figure.

He also hinted that the amount stolen by the robbers was still unknown.

A resident who identified himself simply as Ahmed told PremiumTimes that Thursday's attack remains the deadliest in recent history.

“ Offa is in serious mourning now. This is the most tragic and deadliest attack in recent years , ” he said.

Also an internet user whose siblings returned home unhurt wrote;

My siblings just came back home. They were on their way back to church and caught in the cross fire, close to Zenith bank.

According to them , no military force confronted the robbers throughout the operation. They used dynamites and crazy guns.

They saw four people killed. And they would have been killed because after they finished the operation few of them opinned that they should release gun fire on them (my siblings and those close to them ), but a man who seemed to be the boss told them they have little time left and had no option than to exit immediately.

Cars were burnt and stolen. They exited through Igosun route. All the glory be unto God.

See photos;