2 killed in Lagos bank robbery

A woman and her two-year-old daughter were killed by stray bullets yesterday in a shootout between the police and armed robbers who raided two commercial banks in Festac Town, Lagos.
The robbers arrived 4th Avenue in Festac Town in two speed boats and held staff and customers of Access and Diamond banks hostage.
Witnesses said they robbed the two banks and fled, but were pursued by policemen who were quickly alerted. It was during the exchange of gunfire that the woman and her child were hit.
Though the police said news of the killing of the woman and her daughter had been reported to them, they could not confirm the report.
Lagos State police spokesman, DSP Joseph Offor, told our correspondent that N27million and 240 rounds of expended ammunition were recovered from the fleeing robbers.
He said the money was seized from Diamond Bank by the bandits but was handed over to the manager of one of the Diamond Bank branches in Festac Town “for safe keeping pending when normalcy returns”.
Offor said about 40 armed bandits stormed  Access and Diamond banks.
“When information got to the Area Commander, ACP Frank Mba, he led a team of policemen to the place. There was heavy gunfire between the police and the robbers  who abandoned the operation and fled in boats. There was no casualty on both sides. Investigation is presently going on”, he said.
But witnesses said the casualty figure could be higher. A commercial motorcycle (okada) operator was also said to have been killed by stray bullets while another man was reportedly killed at the Festac Link Bridge.
Another witness said some of the robbers  dressed in military camouflage and robbed passersby as they fled.