Gunmen suspected to be armed robbers allegedly attacked an army patrol van, killing a soldier, and carted away a sack popularly known as Ghana-must- go bag believed to have been loaded with cash, in Benin City, the Edo State capital on Wednesday afternoon.
Reports revealed that three soldiers were in the military vehicle that was heading towards the Ikpoba-hill axis of the Benin metropolis when the fearless assailants ambushed them at the traffic lights along Akpakpava road by First Junction at about 2:10 p.m.
It was learnt that the hoodlums drove an unmarked ash-color Toyota Camry car against the traffic, one way, towards the army vehicle as two of the four occupants allegedly alighted and opened fire on the soldiers.
During the sporadic shooting, the three soldiers were said to have abandoned their patrol vehicle and the loaded Ghana-must-go bag as they raced in different directions for possible safety.
Eyewitnesses disclosed that the attackers grabbed the bag from the military patrol van, dropped it in their operational Toyota Camry, and sped off like a scene in a gangster movie.
It could not, however, be ascertained whether the soldiers were armed and had their arms taken away by the suspected robbers.
The incident, which the eyewitnesses said was the first of its kind in recent years in the state capital, sent cold shivers down the spines of traders and motorists in and around the Dawson area of Benin City.
It was said that when journalists visited the scene a few minutes after the attack, the blood of the victim was visible on a walkway in front of a petrol station as shop owners hurriedly closed businesses.
Some hawkers who witnessed and narrated the ugly attack said many people around them would have died if the soldiers had had the opportunity to respond to the gunfire of their attackers.
“One of the three soldiers fell down there while running away; he tried to get up, but he couldn’t; he was just bleeding. Later, his two other colleagues came out to meet him, but they were helpless.
“Imagine a popular and busy Junction like this; the government cannot install security cameras to record whatever is going on here; it’s unfortunate”, a shop owner said.
Contacted, the Public Relations Officer, 4 Brigade Nigerian Army Headquarters, Benin City, Captain Yusuf Sokoya, said “Ok, I will find out if it is true; don’t call again; I will call you”.
Capt. Sokoya had yet to redeem his promise as of press time today.
However, when contacted, the spokesman for Edo State Police Command, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, confirmed the incident.
He said a soldier was killed when hoodlums attacked a military patrol vehicle at the first Junction, Akpakpava Road, Benin City, some minutes past 2 p.m. today.
“Edo State Police Command can confirm that a military personnel was killed today (Wednesday) in Benin City.
“A good Nigerian reported the incident at the police station covering that neighbourhood.
“The hoodlums carted away a Ghana-Must-Go bag believed to have been loaded with cash kept inside the army van.
“Since they were in their patrol vehicle, they should be armed. The assailants acted on the information. The investigation will unravel all that,” SP Chidi Nwabuzor stated.
