Cyclist killed as five gunmen attack bullion in Lagos

Juliana Francis

Heavy gunshots rocked the Ado-Road, Ajah area of Lagos, as five suspected robbers, opened fire on a black bullion van, plunging members of the community into panic.

At least a cyclist was believed to have been killed in the operation, which left residents cowering in their homes. The robbery happened in broad day light.

It was also gathered that the robbers, who were in a Sienna car, trailed the bullion van. They were armed with AK47 rifles.

The incident would have been unknown to majority of Lagos citizens but for videos that were uploaded on social media.

The robbers had shot the tyres of the bullion to force it to halt and then shot sporadically to keep people away. They then attacked the vault of the van, forcing it open.

In one of the videos, the door of the bullion van showed abuse from series of bullet attacks, which apparently forced the door to open. As at when the video was rolling, the bullion van’s vault was empty.

It is believed that the robbers carted away the content of the vault and it is yet unknown the financial institution that the van and money belonged to.

In the beginning of the viral video, the robbers opened fire like they were in a Wild West Hollywood movie.

The recorder of the incident, who went to the scene after the robbers had left, was heard panting. The video also showed a dead body, lying close to a fallen motorcycle.

The recorder said: “They were robbing life, and they were trying to break into a bullion van. They were shooting everywhere. They shot and shot and shot, trying to open the bullion van. They were about four or five in number. They succeeded and the bullion van was opened. They stole the money. They shot at the bullion van’s tyres. They shot everywhere.”

When the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), was contacted, he promised to get back to our reporter. But as the time of filing this report, he was yet to do so.