A bank customer narrowly escaped death on Friday, after suspected armed robbers trailed him from a bank and attacked him along Shiroro Road in Minna, Niger State, carting away millions of naira and his vehicle.
The incident occurred at about 3:00 p.m. on March 6, 2026.
The victim, Mr David Adebayo Emmanuel, told journalists that he had earlier visited the bank where he withdrew N5 million shortly before 2:00 p.m.
According to him, he later proceeded to another bank where he withdrew another N3 million, adding that he already had N1 million on him.
Emmanuel explained that he later stopped briefly at Iyafemi Restaurant along Shiroro road to buy food when the attack occurred.
“I had just entered my car when a well-dressed man walked up to me and said if I moved he would kill me. At first, I thought he was a police officer joking, but when he cocked his gun at me, I realised it was a robbery,” he said.
According to him, he managed to wrestle the rifle from the suspect and ran back into the restaurant while two other robbers who were waiting nearby rushed to his vehicle.
“I started firing the gun even though I had no experience using one. I believe I shot one of them in the forehead. The other two dragged him towards their car stained with his blood but when it refused to start, they abandoned it and escaped with my vehicle,” the victim added.
Police sources said the robbers forcefully dispossessed the victim of the money and fled with his Toyota Corolla.
The Niger State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, when contacted confirmed the incident, stating that the suspects abandoned the vehicle they used for the operation and escaped with that of their victim.
He explained that the victim recovered one of the rifles believed to have been used by the robbers during the attack.
“Police operatives attached to the Tudun-Wada Division later moved to the scene where they recovered the rifle and the abandoned vehicle,” he stated.
The case has since been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Minna for further investigation.
Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects.
