A RECENT bank robbery attack in Ekiti State that claimed two lives is speculated to have resulted from connivance between bankers and the robbers.

The Commissioner of Police in Ekiti State, Asoquo Amba made this known on Friday after a CCTV footage showed staff taking money from the vault a few minutes before the attack.

On Thursday, there was a reported case of bank robbery in Oye-Ekiti by gunmen numbering 10 shooting sporadically.

The robbery attack reportedly took the lives of a policeman and a girl, even as community residents scampered for safety and bankers also.

The bankers had admitted hearing the gunshot 10 minutes before the security door at the entrance of the bank was destroyed.

In a report by the Commissioner of Police after an investigation, the CCTV had captured bankers moving in and out of the vaults, stating that the vault was opened before the robbers arrived.

“What baffles me is that there was nexus between the robbers and insiders in the banking premises. The Oye Police Division is about one or two poles from here. It was the first point of attack. The bankers confirmed that they heard the shots and it took about 10 minutes before the robbers arrived at the bank from there.

“Between the time the robbers attacked our men and the time the robbery took place, the staff had enough time to escape through the exit door. They were captured by CCTV moving in and out of the vault. The vault was even opened before the robbers came.”

“Within the period, there were some activities that went on inside the bank. It is either there was strict connivance, or that the bank officials took advantage to carry out their own intention which an investigation would prove.

“Despite the opportunity, none of them made efforts to escape, they were stuffing money and there is evidence to prove this. The staff opened the vault by 3.05 p.m. and the robbers blew up the security door at 3.12 p.m., this gave a strong suspicion that there was internal collaboration in this matter,” Amba said.

The CP also said the robbers carted away over N25 million after the attack, but the sum of N2 million contained in a carton was recovered.

“The carton was hidden under the table within the banking hall. This should be part of the loots from the strong room,” he said.