Police, journalist, others shot dead in Ondo bank robbery
…Fish out perpetrators, Akeredolu gives matching orders to security operatives
By Akintunde Jacobs, Akure
No fewer than three persons including the Public Relations Officer of a private University in Ondo state, Olubunmi Afuye, have been reportedly shot dead by some gunmen suspected to be armed robbers while attacking an old generation bank at Ilara-Mokin in Ifedore Local Government Area of the state.
It was gathered that the armed robbers who trailed one of the bank customers who was there to deposit some huge amount money, shot dead the policeman guarding the bank where he was hiding.
Having snatched the money, the robbers while escaping also shot a motorcycle rider passing by.
The criminals headed towards old Ilara/Akure road and in the process saw the varsity spokesman driving towards the same direction they were going and shot him dead.
Sources revealed that the robbers escaped through Ikota road shooting sporadically to scare people and prevent anyone from pursuing them.
Olubunmi Afuye was a journalist working with the state-owned radio, Orange FM before he lately secured the appointment at the varsity.
However, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo state, has given a matching order to security operatives to fish out those behind the gruesome murder of three persons in the bank robbery incident happened on Thursday in Ilara-Mokin, Ifedore Local Government Area of the state.
Governor Akeredolu, in a statement made available to journalists in Akure by his Chief Press Secretary, Richard Olatunde, condemned the dastardly act over the incident which led to the untimely death of a journalist in the state, Olubunmi Afuye among two others.
The statement reads, “according to preliminary reports, Olubunmi, who until his demise was a Public Relations Officer at the Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin, was shot by armed robbers who were robbing a bank in the town.
“Mr Governor is touched by this dastardly act that has cost the Journalism profession a bright and upcoming star.
“He was particularly close to us; we all admired his candour and carriage, especially his brilliant delivery at functions he compered that we had reasons to grace. His demise is not just painful. It is very pathetic and unbearable.”
Akeredolu, however, expressed his heartfelt condolences to the wife and children, family, the University community as well as the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) over the loss saying a specific directive has been given that the perpetrators of this heinous crime are apprehended and brought to book in the shortest possible time.
