About ₦20 million belonging to Ekiti State Governor’s (cabinet) office was on Wednesday reportedly snatched by armed robbers in Ado Ekiti.

The money was in the possession of the accountants from the cabinet department. They had gone to a commercial bank to withdraw the cash.

Witnesses said the money was snatched from the civil servants by armed robbers along Secretariat Road in the capital city as they were returning to the governor’s office.

“The staff were paymasters and accountants attached to the Cabinet Department of the governor’s office,” a source said.

“They went to make a withdrawal at the behest of their superior and while returning, the robbers waylaid them at a place between the Chicken Republic and Fajuyi Park and dispossessed them of the huge cash.”

This newspaper was told robbers shot sporadically into the air as they escaped through the GRA area to Ilawe road.

Police, officials speak

Meanwhile, Ekiti state Police Commissioner, Babatunde Mobayo, only confirmed that “some persons were robbed huge sums of money”. He also said the incident did not occur at a bank.

Mobayo’s statement, signed on his behalf by the state police spokesperson, Sunday Abutu, said ”some persons had been invited for interrogation in connection with the crime”.

“For clarity, the incident that occurred today (Wednesday) in Ado-Ekiti was about a driver of a Toyota Corolla car with about three other occupants who were accosted by a group of yet to be identified hoodlums and dispossessed them of some amount of money,” the police commissioner said.

“Upon receipt of the information, Commander, Rapid Response Squad (RRS), led his operatives to the scene but the hoodlums had fled the scene already.

“Meanwhile, some persons have been invited by the police for interrogation and further investigation while serious effort is ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspects.”

When contacted, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Olayinka Oyebode, said ”only the police could make a statement on the crime”.

“Even if the money belongs to Mr Governor, only the police command has the right place to get a clear statement on the matter,” he said.

“I am not competent to make any statement on it,” he added.

PT