Operatives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command and military forces successfully thwarted an attempted bank robbery on Thursday in the Abaji Area Council of Abuja. The incident involved a coordinated attack on a branch of First Bank Plc and the local police divisional headquarters.
The robbery, carried out by a group of 15 armed men, began in the late afternoon. The robbers targeted both the bank and the police station simultaneously, using dynamite to gain access. The swift response of security forces, led by FCT Commissioner of Police Benneth Igweh, resulted in a fierce gunfight.
During the confrontation, three of the armed robbers were killed, while several others sustained injuries and fled the scene. Three suspects were apprehended by the police: Usman, whose surname is currently unknown, believed to be the gang leader, Nuhu Musa, a 41-year-old from Kogi State, and Muhammed Aminu, a 25-year-old from Abaji.
A statement released on Friday by FCT Police Command spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, detailed the events. She confirmed that one police officer and the gang leader were fatally wounded and later died in the hospital. An additional suspect, neutralized by security forces, was set ablaze by a mob at the scene.