Armed robbers numbering about 10 on Tuesday reportedly attacked travellers on the Sagamu/Benin Expressway at the Omotoso Area of the Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State.
According to an eyewitness who spoke to Punch newspaper, the bandits blocked one side of the expressway with a vehicle which made it easy for them to rob the travellers heading towards Sagamu from Benin and the eastern part of the country. The eyewitness said the incident happened around 4pm on Tuesday.
It was gathered that scores of travellers were robbed of their money, handsets and other personal belongings while some abandoned their vehicles and ran into the bush for safety. No death was recorded.
The eyewitness said, “The robbers blocked the road with a vehicle of one of the victims. They were shooting sporadically into the air. This forced some passengers who were some metres away to run into safety, leaving their buses and belongings on the road.
“Many of the passengers in the process of running into the bush got injured while some were injured by the armed robbers.”
It was learnt that the occupants of two 18-seater buses, one commercial car and a private car were robbed.
A source said the situation was however brought under control when the men of the 32 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army moved to the scene. The robbers were said to have run into the bush after sighting the soldiers.
But the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Femi Joseph, who confirmed the attack, said the Divisional Crime Officer and the policemen attached to the Ore Divisional Police Station were the operatives who dislodged the armed robbers.
Joseph said the policemen were already combing the bush to arrest the robbers.
