By Ibraheem Solaudeen.
It was a chaotic scene at the Tanke area of Ilorin, the Kwara State capital on Tuesday morning, following an alleged robbery of a commercial bank.
Residents and motorists within the area were said to have scampered for safety after shots were reportedly fired by operatives of the Nigeria Police who stormed the venue of the alleged robbery.
Upon arrival, the officers discovered that an unarmed man who was later reported to be mentally deranged, had strayed into the bank, jumped over the counter and was packing the monies he could find until he was arrested.
“It was a minor scare, however all police stations were radioed and on getting to the scene, policemen allegedly fired several warning shots which further heightened tension”, INSIDER gathered from a source.
Reacting to the incident, the Kwara State Police Command in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, DSP Okasanmi Ajayi, refuted claims that armed robbers had invaded the bank as was being speculated on social media at the time of the incident.
DSP Ajayi said: “The Kwara State Police Command wishes to inform the general public of the unfounded news going round that armed robbers invaded a bank in Tanke area of Ilorin this morning, this has brought about some level of panic and agitation in the people.
“The Command wishes to state that, what actually transpired was that, a man strayed into the said Bank, and started packing monies on the bank Counter which eventually led to commotion in the banking hall. Police men came in and arrested the suspect who was promptly taken away, preliminary investigation however revealed that the suspect is of unsound mind.
“Meanwhile peace has been restored and aggressive patrols of Ilorin has been ordered by the Commissioner of Police, Ag. Cp Kayode Egbetokun, to further instill confidence on members of the public and especially Banks in the State. Finally, members of the public are advised to be conscious of happening around them and report any suspicions movement to the Police.”