4 policemen, bank manager killed by robbers in Rivers

Suspected armed robbers, yester­day, killed four policemen and a regional manager of a new generation bank in Igwu­ruta, near Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The incident reportedly occurred at about 9:45am at the Igwuruta Roundabout in Obio/Akpor Local Gov­ernment Area of of the state.
Some eyewitnesses claimed that the bandits, who were fully armed, did not give room for the de­ceased policemen to retali­ate.
The hoodlums were said to have laid ambush for the policemen and the bank manager and opened fire on the Hilux van as they ap­proached and killed them.
According to another eye­witness, the armed robbers made away with the loot.
The eyewitness said: “Four policemen were killed and one of the police­men, who tried to escape, was also killed after he was hit by the armed robbers’ bullets.
“The heavy gunshots on the Hilux van, did not give the policemen any chance for survival. Everybody ran away when they heard the sound of gunshots.”
The incident was said to have forced motorists ply­ing the road to abandon their cars and scampered for safety.
The second-in-command to the state Police Public Re­lations Officer, Mrs. Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the incident to newsmen.
She described the inci­dent as an armed robbery attack, adding that security agencies had begun man­ hunt for the fleeing gunmen.