Armed robbers killed one person during an attack on a branch of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) at Bank Road, Umuahia in Abia State.
According to SaharaReporters, eyewitnesses that the victim was a fruits seller.
It was not clear if there were other casualties as at the time of filling this report.
A resident of the area, identified as Kingsley Oka said the attack forced many shops around the area to close abruptly
Oka told SaharaReporters that the entire neighbourhood had been flooded with security agents.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, Geoffrey Ogbonna, confirmed the attack via telephone, however, said it was not a case of bank robbery.
Ogbonna said, “It wasn’t a case of bank robbery attack. What happened was that these were some of the robbers who trailed people coming from the bank (people who go to banks to make withdrawals, the robbers will trail them). They will trail their target to where it will be conducive for them to strike and they will strike.
“So that was what happened today. Our people who were on patrol in that area were able to intercept the gang and on sighting the police they engaged them on a shootout and they were able to escape abandoning their operational vehicle. The police recovered one AK-47 rifle from them as well as a vehicle and one machete.”
He also confirmed that one person was shot but said the identity of the victim wasn’t yet known.
“A stray bullet hit at somebody who sells something nearby and even one of our colleagues had a slight touch of the bullet,” he added.