Suspected armed robbers reportedly launched an attack on an army patrol van in Benin City, Edo State, resulting in the tragic death of a soldier. The criminals managed to make off with a 'Ghana-Must-Go' bag, presumed to be holding a substantial amount of cash.
According to the available information, at the time of the attack, there were three soldiers inside the military vehicle. The patrol was en route to the Ikpoba-hill area within Benin metropolis when the assailants ambushed them.
Accounts suggest that the assailants executed the attack in a daring manner. They deployed an unmarked ash-color Toyota Camry vehicle, which was driven against the traffic (one way) toward the army vehicle. Two of the four occupants of the Toyota Camry then disembarked and unleashed a hail of bullets upon the soldiers.
In the midst of the gunfire exchange, it is reported that the three soldiers abandoned their patrol vehicle and the loaded 'Ghana-Must-Go' bag, fleeing in different directions in an attempt to secure their safety.
Eyewitnesses to the incident recounted that the assailants snatched the bag from the military patrol van, swiftly transferring it into their operational Toyota Camry before speeding away in a manner reminiscent of a scene from a gangster movie.
It remains unclear whether the soldiers were armed at the time of the attack, and whether their weapons were taken by the suspected robbers.
Some bystanders, including street vendors, who were present during the incident, expressed their belief that the casualty count could have been much higher if the soldiers had the opportunity to return fire at their attackers.
One shop owner commented, “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.”
Another shop owner lamented the absence of security cameras in the vicinity, stating, “Imagine a popular and busy Junction like this; the government cannot install security cameras to record whatever is going on here; it’s unfortunate.”
The Edo State Police Command's spokesperson, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, confirmed the incident, stating that a soldier lost his life during the attack on a military patrol vehicle at the First Junction on Akpakpava Road in Benin City, occurring just past 2 p.m. on Wednesday.
“Edo State Police Command can confirm that a military personnel was killed today (Wednesday) in Benin City,” the PPRO stated.
“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.
