Senior Bank Staff Held for Bank Robbery

Segun Atanda/

One Access Bank staff and a dismissed police sergeant were among five suspects held over attempted bank robbery in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Police spokesman, Don Awunah, identified 28-year-old Samuel Ndudiri, a senior staff at the Access Bank Branch in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, as the man suspected to have masterminded the foiled robbery at the bank.
“The senior Bank Staff and security personnel attached to the Bank were involved in the foiled armed robbery attack on Access Bank Branch in Port Harcourt, Rivers state,” he said.
Awunah, who described the arrested robbers as vicious, said that arms and ammunition recovered from the bandits included two AK 47 Rifles and magazines fully loaded with ammunition; a welding machine; two gas cylinders and iron cutters; a big chisel; cutting saw; hammer, and acetylene gas power.

A statement issued by Awunah named other suspects as a dismissed Sgt Promise Ukwuoma; 28-year-old Samuel Nwala; Lucky Ukwuoma, 26, and Kaale Taagabah, 27.
Awunah’s statement reads in part: “On the 22nd December, 2016, the five suspects mentioned above and other still at large stormed a Branch of Access Bank PLC in Port Harcourt, relying on information and active involvement of one of the staff of the Bank, the armed robbers successfully broke down the well fortified security doors and barriers and took over the banking hall. They were almost pulling down the vault of the Bank and other strong rooms in the bank with use of gas cylinder welding machine and iron cutters before the joint Police Teams of IGP’S Intelligence Response Team and Policemen from Rivers State Police Command swiftly moved in and dislodged them. They foiled the armed robbery attack on the Bank and made a prompt arrest of three suspects at the scene; namely Samuel Nwala ‘M’ 28 years, Lucky Ukwuoma ‘M’ 26 years, Kaale Taagabah ‘M’ 27 years.

“In the course of thorough investigation into the foiled armed robbery attack on the Bank, the principal suspect who is a staff of the Bank and the mastermind of the armed robbery attack was subsequently arrested based on the confessional statements volunteered by the last three suspects arrested at the scene. The arrest of the principal suspect led to the arrest of Ex Sgt Promise Ukwuoma, who participated actively in the armed robbery attack on the Bank; the two AK 47 Rifles and the ammunition were recovered from him. All the suspects have volunteered confessional and useful statements to the Police about the various criminal roles they played in the commission of the crime.”
Awunah added that concerted efforts were being intensified to arrest other suspects still at large and bring them to justice.