It’s really sad news. On Wednesday, Taiwo Oyekanmi, a director of finance at the governor’s office in Ogun state, was tragically killed by suspected armed robbers. The incident happened after he left a Fidelity bank branch in Abeokuta, the state capital.
Apparently, the robbers ambushed the homemade bullion van carrying Oyekanmi while he was ascending the overhead bridge in the Kuto area. The. Witness mentioned that the gunmen shot at him and others in the van. They used a sledgehammer to break open the bullion van’s door and made away with the government’s money.
In response to the incident, Abiodun Alamutu, the commissioner of police in Ogun, noted that Oyekanmi went to Fidelity bank without a police escort. It’s a tragic event, and it highlights the risks faced by individuals handling financial matters, especially when adequate security measures are not in place.
He mentioned that they’ve launched an investigation into the incident and noted that the police have asked Fidelity bank for CCTV footage. The police commissioner explained that the individuals were supposed to have a police escort, but due to some reasons, one person was allowed to travel independently for personal matters and joined the group only today.
According to the commissioner, on their way back from Fidelity bank after making the withdrawal, the group was ambushed. A vehicle blocked them on the bridge, and five people got out. They shot at the director, and then used a sledgehammer from their vehicle to force open the container holding the money. After that, they fled with the stolen money.
“The director that was shot was thereafter taken to Ijaye hospital where he eventually gave up the ghost.
“For our investigation, I have directed the area commander to get to the bank and request the CCTV footage which will give us insight into the vehicle in question and the possibility of identifying the culprits if they ever ventured to step out of the vehicle or maybe they just maintained their position in the vehicle.”
‘I’M DEVASTED AND DEEPLY SADDENED’
Reacting to the incident, Dapo Abiodun, governor of Ogun, said he was devasted and saddened by the death of Oyekanmi.
“The cold-blooded murder of Mr. Taiwo Oyekanmi, our late Director of Finance and Accounts, has left me devastated and deeply saddened,” Abiodun wrote in a Facebook post.
“The loss of Mr. Oyekanmi is undoubtedly a tremendous blow to our administration. He was a dedicated, honest, and diligent official, and his untimely demise has caused great sorrow among his colleagues and the government as a whole.
“We are determined to bring his murderers to justice swiftly and ensure that they face the full consequences of their actions.”
Abiodun said his administration is fully committed to preventing any such calamity from “befalling our beloved state again”.
“I have been in contact with all security agencies, directing them to immediately locate and apprehend the criminals responsible,” he said.
Source:- ThePressNG