Armed robbers on Thursday attacked banks in the Owo, Ondo State, killing several persons including the manager and staff of the branch of a new generation bank in the town.
A resident say many other people, including bystanders and passersby, are feared dead, and several others injured. One of the attacked banks was set ablaze, a security source said.
A report quotes highly placed sources within the police hierarchy in Ondo State as saying the figure could not have been as many as the 200 that went viral on Thursday.
The robbers, numbering about 10, struck at about 5pm. They were said to have arrived the town from the Abuja-Owo Road, shooting sporadically. They reportedly robbed no fewer than five banks. Reports also had it that the robbers made use of explosives to open the vaults of some of the banks.
The robbers are believed to have made away with large amounts of money from the banks.
Residents said the robbers came into the town through the Abuja-Owo road area.
The state police commissioner, Isaac Eke, were quoted in reports as saying the situation in the town had been brought under control.
He said the police was able to engage the robbers, killing six of them.
Mr. Eke said 12 arms and 9000 live ammunitions were recovered from the bandits.
Also recovered, the commissioner said, were six vehicles, some grenades and 55 canisters of teargas.
Mr. Eke declined to provide casualty figure in the attack, saying it was too late in the day to take count.
