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In Eket, Armed robbers Attack UBA, Zenith Banks, Trailing PDP Election Loot

Armed robbers in the early hours of today attacked branches of two commercial banks in Eket, Southern Akwa Ibom State, and overran the rigging plans of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

Armed robbers in the early hours of today attacked branches of two commercial banks in Eket, Southern Akwa Ibom State, and overran the rigging plans of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

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The banks, Zenith and UBA, which are located on opposite sides of Grace Bill Road, were attacked between 3am and 5am.  SaharaReporters learnt that the robbers somehow got wind of the PDP’s heavy movement of cash to execute tomorrow’s presidential polls and decided to go for a piece of the pie.

The robbery reportedly took PDP officials by surprise but the consequent closure of other banks did not help, as it frustrated their efforts to make alternative arrangements.

Police sources at Eket Division told SaharaReporters that an investigation into the robbery was underway as it had dispatched detectives to the crime scene.  When our correspondent visited the scene of the robbery, thousands of people had gathered in the area and police and other security agencies had cordoned off the site.
 
Officials of the affected banks could not be reached for comments or an estimate of the cash lost in the incident, but a security source confirmed that the robbers had enjoyed access to the bank vaults.
 
The source said that there proof that the robbers used explosives to force their way into the bank strong room and that as many as eight dynamites may have been used in the operation.  It was also reported that during the operation, the robbers were also shooting intermittently.  Coupled with the explosions, the sounds caused a lot of anxiety of residents.
 
Security men however arrived during the robbery and put the robbers to flight.  Apparently well-organized, they escaped through the Atlantic Ocean.
 
Some of the people who gathered at the scene were bank customers who had come to make withdrawals in preparation for Saturday, as banks will be closed for the election.
 
As news of the attacks spread, other banks in the town immediately shut their doors to the banking public, but they were besieged by customers waiting for them to reopen for service.

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