Emmanuel Addeh in Yenagoa
Two persons were killed by suspected hoodlums yesterday after a gang of gunmen invaded the popular Swali Market in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, and shot their victims in a bid to dispossess them of their belongings.
It was gathered that one of the victims, was a Raymond Agada, who was said to be in possession of a large sum of money which he meant to deposit in the bank.
The incident which occurred at about 4p.m. reportedly threw the market into confusion as sellers and buyers ran for their lives, leaving their wares which were looted by some youths in the area.
A source said the hoodlums operated with sophisticated weapons and other dangerous tools and had ostensibly got information that the victim was in possession of some cash.
While one of the victims died on the spot, Agada was said to have breathed his last immediately he was rushed to the hospital.
Petty thieves in the area were also said to have carted away items from shops in the market after the owners fled in the wake of the pandemonium.
However, it was learnt that a team of policemen that arrived on the crime scene following phone calls by some witnesses, apprehended one of the suspects who is now telling the police what he knows about the robbery incident.
Asinim Buswat, Police Public Relations Officer t the state command, confirmed the incident, but said that only one person was killed in the attack.
He added that the gang of four that carried out the operation did so with pistols and “attacked one Raymond Agada ‘m’ of Swali community.”
Butswat said the hoodlums dispossessed the victim of the sum of N120,000 which he was given by his brother to deposit in the bank before he was shot.
The state police command Spokesman said: “Policemen were quickly dispatched to the scene and the victim was rushed to the hospital, where he later died. The culprits have been identified and efforts have been intensified to arrest them.”.
