Bank Robbery: Six cops killed in gun battle

Armed robbers, this morning, raided a bureau de change in Kano and killed six policemen during a gun battle. The incident happened at about 2 a.m., at the bureau de change, located on Murtala Mohammed Way near Triumph Newspapers , Kano.

Three of the six policemen killed were identified as ASP Koluko Umar, Sergeant Rayan Ilyasu and ASP Mamudu Mohammed, all from the Sabon Gari police post. The robbers were said to have deflated the tyres of the police armoured personnel carrier stationed near Triumph Newspapers before raiding the bureau de change. Sources told P.M.NEWS that when the police received information about the robbery operation, they moved in and engaged the robbers in a fierce gun battle lasting about two hours.

It was in the course of the duel that the six police officers were killed. Though the robbers escaped with some money they got from seven offices of the bureau de change, the police chased and killed two of the robbers and recovered some of the money. The police also recovered three of the cars brought for the operation by the robbers. An AK47 rifle, three military rifles and some amunition were also recovered from the robbers who were still fleeing at the time of filing this report.

The police were said to be on the trail of the robbers said to be escaping toward Dedeji Forest. The state Police Commissioner, Mohammed Yusufu, at a press conference this afternoon, confirmed the death of the policemen. He said 16 bandits carried out the attack and vowed to track them down. Robbers carried out a similar raid on 8 April, 2007, at the bureau de change