Ekiti State Police Command on Friday revealed that it has arrested two suspects in connection with the robbery incident at United Bank of Africa (UBA) in Oye Ekiti after some discovery were made through the Close Circuit Camera (CCTV) of the bank.
Daredevil armed robbers had on Thursday invaded the financial institution, killing a 7-year-old girl and a police sergeant identified as Ojo Omoniyi, before carting away a whooping N25m in cash.
The robbers had initially attacked the Police Divisional Police station in Oye Ekiti, then set ablaze a police van used to block Ilupeju-Oye highway after they robbed for over 30 minutes.
The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Asuquo Amba, who visited the bank on assessment tour on Friday alleged that there was internal connivance between the bank officials and the robbers going by the startling revelations on the CCTV.
Amba said the bank officials allegedly opened the strong room seven minutes before the robbery, and the CCTV also revealed how the bankers and a customer, who ran inside upon hearing the gunshots, had used the robbery opportunity to stuff money into their pockets before the bank’s door was blown up with dynamite by the robbers.
“Between the time the robbers attacked our men and the time the robbery took place, the staff had enough time to escape through the exit door. They were captured by CCTV moving in and out of the vault. The vault was even opened before the robbers came.
“Despite the opportunity, none of them made efforts to escape, they were stuffing money and there are evidence to prove this.
“The staff opened the vault by 3.05pm and the robbers blowed up the security door at 3.12pm, which gave a strong suspicion that there was internal collaboration in this matter.
“The summary of it is that, there was internal connivance and it is unfortunate. There was a similarity between this robbery and the one we had at Ise Ekiti recently.
”Plus or minus, there was a missing link and it is that link that we are working upon, trying to investigate.
Amba added that the police recovered a carton inside the bank containing over N2 million that was hidden by one of the bankers before the operation.
“The carton was hidden under the table within the banking hall. This should be part of the the loots from the strong room,” Amba added.
On why policemen were not present at the bank as guards, the CP said the banking policy does not allow posting of mobile policemen to the bank for a reason known to them, an action which started in 2016 based on the letter written to request for only plain-clothed policemen.
He however said the two top managerial staff already detained by the police are helping the course of investigation.