The Katsina State Police Command has commenced investigation into Thursday’s robbery in Katsina where a cashier in the office of the Secretary to the State Government was robbed of N61m by a two-member gang.
The command spokesman, SP Isah Gambo, who confirmed the incident, said the command suspected “a conspiracy theory.”
Eyewitnesses said the robbers on Thursday attacked the cashier, Aminu Darma, shortly after he withdrew the money from a commercial bank in the state capital and was returning to his office.
City Round further learnt that the cashier was shot in the hand and is currently receiving treatment at the Katsina Teaching Hospital.
One of the eyewitnesses who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “The cashier had just withdrawn the money from the bank and was on his way to the office. Suddenly, he noticed that a car was trailing him and he decided to do a U- turn back to town at the Steel Rolling roundabout.
“At a point when the cashier had to slow down on approaching a junction where other vehicles were passing, the trailing vehicle hit his car from behind. The robbers then came out from the vehicle shot sporadically before snatching the money and sped off.”
Gambo said, “Yes, it is true. But we are investigating the surrounding circumstances of the alleged attack. It baffled the command for a state government staff member to carry such a huge sum of amount without police escort. Also the modus operandi was suspicious. An attack with AK 47 by robbers may lead to fatal injury and not mere brushes. We are also investigating why the official went alone to pick the money without any supporting staff members and only to be robbed by two gunmen in an ash coloured Camry, motor vehicle.
“He (the cashier) was alleged to have withdrawn sixty-one million naira from the bank. There is a conspiracy theory we are investigating. Sometime last year, one of the staff members from the same office, equally withdrew a huge sum of money and stated that he left the money in the trunk of his vehicle only to return and discover that it had been stolen.
“The command is tired of receiving such cock and bull stories coming out from professional and qualified financial managers of the office of the SSG. We are not going to leave any stone unturned until the perpetrators are brought to book.”
