14th October, 2014
Jethro Ibileke/Asaba
Tragedy struck Tuesday in Asaba, capital of Delta State, as a Nollywood actor, simply identified as Onyeka, was caught in a cross-fire between operatives of the Delta State Police Command and daredevil armed robbers who attempted to hijack a bullion van.
Casualty figure could not be immediately ascertained, but an unconfirmed source had it that in addition to the death of the actor, a police officer also lost his life while several persons including civilians and policemen sustained varying degrees of injuries in the process.
Onyeka who was said to be driving in his private car when a flying bullet pierced through the back of his head making its way out the fore-head, allegedly died at the spot due to the impact of the bullet.
The incident occurred at DSB Road where four armed men laid ambush for the bullion van believed to be owned by a new generation coming from Awka in Anambra State and was heading towards the office of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), located on Mariam Babagida Way.
According to an eyewitness, the robbers who operated in a Toyota Camry car, got reinforcement at the scene of robbery following resistance from the police back-up van.
“The robbers rained bullets on the bullion van but the driver succeeded in making a detour and escaped with the content of the van intact. Several persons were caught in the cross-fire and they got injured.
“It was only the actor who died in my presence because the bullet entered his head. He lost a lot of blood and just could not make it,” the source said.
It was gathered that the incident caused pandemonium in the area as residents scampered for safety during the gun duel. It was also learnt that one of the armed robbers was injured but his colleagues in a show of comradeship dragged him into their get-away car and escaped through the Benin-Onitsha expressway.
The Delta State Police Command, Public Relations Officer, DSP Celestina Kalu, who confirmed the incident, said the command has already spread its dragnets to trap down the fleeing criminals.
Meanwhile, a mild drama ensued at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Asaba where the victims of the gun duel were rushed to for treatment by operatives of the Nigerian Army.
It was gathered that the army officers were allegedly angered by the lukewarm attitude of the medical workers on duty while handling the emergency cases and therefore decided to unleash horse whip on some of them.
“Soldiers flogged them before they started attending to the robbery victims who were rushed here (FMC) for treatment. Some of the workers have to immediately switch from one department to another to avoid the horse whip,” a source at the hospital told journalists.
The source added other Nollywood actors and actresses stormed the hospital to catch a glimpse of their deceased colleague who was said to have been deposited at the mortuary.