Ogun: Gunmen shoot accountant dead, cart away millions

An Ogun state government accountant, Taiwo Oyekanmi, has been shot dead by some unknown assailants, while returning from a commercial bank in Abeokuta.

Oyekanmi, according to sources was ambushed by the gunmen while ascending the overhead bridge at Kuto, after withdrawing an undisclosed sum of money from the bank.

The accountant and other aides who were shot during the attack, were taken to the State General Hospital in Ijaye, where the he eventually died

Meanwhile, the Secretary to the state Government, Tokunbo Talabi, had previously paid the late accountant’s family a visit to express his condolences.

The Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, who confirmed the incident in a telephone interview Blueprint correspondent said the command has launched a manhunt for the culprits

“This afternoon, the accountant, the Director of Finance with driver and one other person left for Fidelity bank to make some withdrawal, they went homemade bullion van. 

“They were supposed to have a police escort, but for certain reasons, the person was permitted to travel to attend to some issues, so consequently he was not part of the movement to today. 

“According to the story, after making the withdrawal, and on their way back to the office, they were accosted. A vehicle blocked them on top of the bridge, five occupants of the vehicle came down, shot at the director and from their vehicle, they brought out a sledge hammer to force the receptacle where the money was kept open and they left with the money.

“As at that time there was no information, the police escort was not with the team and they sped off.

“The driver claimed to have trailed them to a point along conference hotel where he lost contact with them. 

“The director that was shut was thereafter taken to Ijaye hospital where he eventually gave up the ghost”, he said.

Alamutu said he had demanded for the CCTV footage from the bank to aid the police’s investigation.

“For our investigation, I have directed the area commander to get to the bank and request for the CCTV footage which will give us insight into the vehicle in question and 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 have reached out to Lagos and everywhere in the command to block all the exits out of the state while we are trying to identify them because they said they were five and they used hood”, Alamutu said.