Abuja - Robbers attacked a bullion van conveying large sums of money to banks in Owerri, south-east Nigeria, Thursday, killing four policemen on escort duties and three other persons. Local reports said the robbers, clad in camouflage fatigues, trailed the van for a while before opening fire on it as it approached a bank in the Imo State capital city.
The four escort police three bystanders were killed on the spot. The robbers then stole an undisclosed amount of money, local police spokesman Linus Nwaiwu said.
Nigerian police extended its January a deadline to April for banks to provide bullet-proof vans to convey money if they are to get police escorts.
Seventeen policemen have now been killed across Nigeria in bank robberies since the beginning of the year.
