Armed robbers on Wednesday had a field day robbing a branch of First Bank in Akwa Ibom State today.

The bank, located on Ibekwe Road, Ikot Abasi, was stormed by 18 armed men, dressed in military camouflage at about 11.45 am.
They were believed to have stolen a large sum of money.

The Nation online reported that a police vehicle detailed for the rescue operation somersaulted along the way and a police sergeant died in the process, while other policemen sustained serious injuries.

Witnesses said the robbers shot sporadically into the air on arrival at the bank to scare away passersby and customers.

The robbery operation was said to have lasted for an hour and then loaded stockpiles of cash into a waiting vehicle parked outside the bank premises and sped off.

The state’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Cordelia Nwawe, confirmed the incident.

Nwawe said no arrest has been made, but police operatives have been deployed to Ikot Abasi to fish out the robbers.