A bank customer narrowly escaped death after suspected armed robbers allegedly followed him from a bank and attacked him along Shiroro Road in Minna, Niger State, making away with millions of naira and his vehicle.
The incident reportedly occurred at about 3 p.m. on March 6, 2026.
The victim, David Adebayo Emmanuel, said he had earlier visited a bank where he withdrew N5m shortly before 2 p.m.
He explained that he later proceeded to another bank and withdrew an additional N3m, noting that he already had N1m on him before the transactions.
Emmanuel said he briefly stopped at Iyafemi Restaurant along Shiroro Road to purchase food when the suspected robbers launched the attack.
Recounting the ordeal, he said a smartly dressed man suddenly approached him as he was about to drive off and threatened to shoot him if he attempted to move.
“At first, I thought he was a police officer making a joke, but when he cocked the rifle and pointed it at me, I realised it was a robbery,” he said.
According to Emmanuel, he managed to overpower the suspect and seize the rifle before running back into the restaurant, while two other accomplices who were waiting nearby rushed towards his vehicle.
He said he began firing the weapon despite having no prior experience handling firearms.
“I believe one of them was hit in the forehead.
The others quickly dragged him toward their car, which was already stained with blood. When the vehicle refused to start, they abandoned it and escaped with my own car,” he added.
Police sources said the suspects forcefully dispossessed the victim of the cash before fleeing with his Toyota Corolla.
The Public Relations Officer of the Niger State Police Command, SP Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the incident, explaining that the suspects abandoned the car used for the operation and escaped with that of the victim.
He added that the victim recovered a rifle believed to have been used by the attackers during the robbery.
“Police operatives from the Tudun-Wada Division later visited the scene and recovered the rifle and the abandoned vehicle,” Abiodun said.
He further stated that the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Minna for further investigation, while efforts were ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects.
