The popular Ezzamgbo Junction in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State was on Wednesday afternoon thrown into panic as gunmen attacked a cash loaded bullion van enroute Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, from Enugu, killing four Policemen escorting it.
Eyewitness account said the hoodlums appeared to have been trailing the van from Enugu to the ever busy junction, about 4km to Abakaliki.
According to the eyewitness, a welder and one other person in their shops close to the scene of the attack were hit by bullets.
The welder, whose name could not be ascertained before filing this report, was later confirmed dead by an inside source.
The hoodlums in their bid to seize the bullion van, first rained bullets on the escort van, killing the four policemen instantly, before hitting at the van’s tire
Two other policemen also sustained serious injuries during the shooting.
The incident was confirmed by the Commissioner, Ebonyi State Police Command, Phillip Maku, who said the robbers trailed the van from Enugu in Enugu State.
Maku, however, disclosed that the robbers did not succeed in carting away the money in the van as the driver managed to drive away the scene and towards a military checkpoint less than a kilometer away.
Maku said: “They damaged one of the tires of the bullion van, but the driver was able to escape with the van.
“They could not give chase to the van as the driver was driving towards the Military checkpoint ahead.”
Confirming that the two injured policemen have been taken to the hospital and the deceased deposited at the mortuary, Maku said the police had launched a manhunt for the fleeing robbers.
Governor David Umahi’s administration in the State is currently constructing a double carriage flyover bridge at the junction in a bid to ease traffic on the ever busy and congested road junction, about a kilometre to Ebonyi State University Permanent site.