BENIN CITY, Nigeria — Gunmen targeted an army patrol vehicle in Benin City, killing a soldier and making away with a bag believed to be loaded with cash.
At about 2:10 p.m. on Wednesday, August 23, 2023, the incident unfolded at the traffic lights along Akpakpava road by First Junction, an area teeming with traders and motorists.
The military vehicle, which was heading towards the Ikpoba-hill area of the city, was ambushed by the attackers who drove an unmarked ash-color Toyota Camry against the traffic flow.
Two assailants emerged from the car and opened fire on the three soldiers inside the patrol van. Amidst the hail of bullets, the soldiers abandoned their vehicle and the bag, fleeing in different directions.
Eyewitness accounts described the assailants grabbing the bag and making a rapid getaway, likening the audacity and speed of the incident to a scene in a gangster movie.
Shop owners hurriedly shuttered their businesses as the reality of the unprecedented event sank in.
Blood stains were visible on the pavement in front of a petrol station near the scene of the attack.
“The government cannot install security cameras to record whatever is going on here; it’s unfortunate,” said one shop owner, highlighting the absence of surveillance in such a busy and vital part of the city.
Although Captain Yusuf Sokoya, Public Relations Officer, 4 Brigade Nigerian Army Headquarters, Benin City, was non-committal when reached for comment, the spokesman for the Edo State Police Command, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, confirmed the tragic event.
“A good Nigerian reported the incident at the police station covering that neighborhood,” said Nwabuzor.
He also added that an investigation was underway to get to the bottom of this shocking crime.
The ambush has heightened concerns over public safety and the effectiveness of security measures, particularly in Benin City, which has not witnessed an incident of this kind in recent years.
The attack has also reignited discussions about installing security cameras in key locations, a move seen as increasingly necessary in an era where crime tactics are evolving.
