Robbers Kill Govt Accountant, Carts Away Millions In Ogun

An Accountant with the Ogun State Government, Taiwo Oyekanmi, was on Wednesday shot dead in Abeokuta, the State capital by daredevil armed robbers who carted away millions of Naira in the process.

Reports said that Oyekanmi, the Director of Finance at the Governor’s office, Oke-Mosan, had picked up an undisclosed amount from one of the new generation banks’ branch in Abeokuta, and was returning to the office when the gunmen struck.

It was gathered the hooded gunmen, about five in number, intercepted the home-made bullion van and opened fire on the accountant as they were ascending the overhead bridge at the Kuto area.

Eyewitness account hinted that the sledgehammer-wielding hoodlums destroyed the bullion van door and went away with the huge government’s funds therein.

Insiders further said Oyekanmi and some aides who sustained gunshot injuries during the attack were rushed to the State General Hospital, Ijaye, where the accountant later died.

Confirming the incident, a government official, who preferred anonymity for obvious security reasons, disclosed that a police escort attached to the late Accountant did not make the trip having taken permission to urgently attend to family matters.

The official said the Secretary to the State Government, Tokunbo Talabi, has already paid a condolence visit to the late Accountant’s residence and commiserated with the family.

Also, reports indicated that the Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, who confirmed the incident on Wednesday night, said; “This afternoon, the accountant, the Director of Finance with driver and one other person left for Fidelity bank to make some withdrawal, they went homemade bullion van.

“They were supposed to have a police escort, but for certain reasons, the person got permission to travel and attend to some issues. Consequently, he was not part of today’s movement.

“According to the story, after making the withdrawal, and on their way back to the office, they were accosted. A vehicle blocked them on top of the bridge, five occupants of the vehicle came down, shot at the director and from their vehicle, they brought out a sledge hammer to force the receptacle where the money was kept open and they left with the money.

“As at that time, there was no information, the police escort was not with the team and they sped off. The driver claimed to have trailed them to a point along conference hotel where he lost contact with them.

“The Director that was shut was thereafter taken to Ijaye Hospital where he eventually gave up the ghost.”

However, speaking on measures already taken to aid police investigation, CP Alamutu said; “For our investigation, I have directed the Area Commander to get to the bank and request for the CCTV footage which will give us insight into the vehicle in question and possibility of identifying the culprits if they ever ventured to step out of the vehicle or maybe they just maintained their position in the vehicle.

“I have reached out to Lagos and everywhere in the Command to block all the exits out of the state while we are trying to identify them (robbers) because they are said to have used hoods for the operation”.