There was pandemonium in Owerri, the Imo State capital, yesterday morning when daredevil armed robbers snatched an unspecified amount of money after shooting their victim severally in front of Imo State Government House.

According to sources, the two robbers, who were said to be in a Camry salon car, had trailed their unsuspecting victim and his wife after they withdrew money from one of the banks along the popular Cathedral Road in Owerri metropolis.

It was learnt that the two robbers, who caught up with their victim before the Okigwe roundabout, directly opposite Government House, had shot sporadically into the air to scare away people before ordering their victim to hand over the money, and when he resisted they shot him three times, snatched the money and took off through Okigwe Road.

One of the eyewitnesses said: “I was at the newspaper stand across the road, just before the Okigwe roundabout, around 11am, when I heard a gunshot and then two young men in a Camry car blocked a man and his wife driving in another car.

“They asked the man to hand over the money. The woman ran out of the car, but the man refused to hand over the money to them. One of the robbers shot him three times and collected the money from him. I don’t know if he died.”

The source added that as soon as the robbers started shooting into the air, policemen, including personnel of the NSCDC at the roundabout opposite Government House, took to their heels.

Another witness recounted his experience: “I was four cars behind. When I heard gunshots, it dawned on me that those in the Camry were robbers, because the way they overtook me made me wonder where they were hurrying to. After snatching the money, they were shooting into the air, which sent people running in different directions, including the policemen at the Okigwe roundabout junction.”

The Police Public Relations Officer of the Imo State Police Command confirmed the incident and disclosed that the victim was confirmed dead at the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri.

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