Eyewitness gives account on armed robbery attack on bullion van in Imo

Gunmen assaulted a bullion van in Imo State’s Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area on Thursday.

According to the Punch, the bullion van set out from Owerri, the state capital, and was scheduled to unload cash at one of Mbaise’s new generational banks when it was ambushed.

Kennedy Onwunali, an eyewitness, informed reporters that the gunmen targeted the General Hospital in Mbaise.

According to him, the attackers fired continually at the van, but the driver was brave enough to continue driving.

The bullion van toppled, according to an eyewitness, after the driver continued escaping the assailants.

He said, “The gunmen intercepted the bullion van at Hospital Junction, Mbaise, but the driver was courageous enough to keep moving. They went after him and kept shooting. Everybody scampered for safety. The van later overturned, but the armed robbers ran away. No life was not. No money was lost. The driver survived with a bank official and police escort.

“The police have arrived at the scene and taken over. But economic and commercial activities came to an abrupt end because of fear. There was serious panic.”

The spokesperson for the police in the state, Micheal Abattam, confirmed the attack in a statement.

He said, “Sketchy information revealed that the bullion van was returning after delivering money and was attacked by hoodlums. The driver, on noticing it, tried to escape. Unfortunately, his vehicle overturned. No money was carted away.”