Daylight Robbery in Ilorin: Gunmen Shoot Driver, Cart Away Cash

Residents of Ilorin were thrown into panic on Friday as a four-man armed robbery gang struck in broad daylight, shooting a motorist and making away with an undisclosed sum of cash believed to be packed in multiple cartons.

The daring attack occurred around 11:30 a.m. directly opposite the Kwara State Correspondents’ Chapel office on Post Office Road, one of the city’s busy commercial corridors. Eyewitnesses reported seeing the masked assailants fire multiple shots at the victim’s vehicle before fleeing in an ash-coloured Toyota Corolla with a faded number plate.

According to accounts from onlookers, the robbers appeared to have trailed the victim, who was driving a grey Toyota Sienna registered AA 693 GT, before launching the attack. “They must have followed him. They shot at his vehicle from behind and deflated the two left tyres before taking the money packed in four large cartons,” an eyewitness said.

The driver, reportedly transporting cash for an undisclosed assignment, sustained a gunshot injury to his palm during the incident. He was promptly rushed to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.

Confirming the incident, Kwara State Police Command spokesperson SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi said the robbers executed the operation with precision and warned residents to exercise caution. “An armed robbery incident occurred along Post Office Road, Ilorin, leaving the driver injured and an undisclosed amount of money stolen. He is currently receiving medical attention,” Ejire-Adeyemi stated.

Ejire-Adeyemi added that the State Commissioner of Police, CP Ojo Adekimi, has ordered a discreet but thorough investigation, while also enhancing Police visibility across Ilorin to reassure residents. “Security patrols have been intensified across the metropolis. Residents are advised to avoid carrying large sums of cash and, where necessary, to use trusted bank escort services. Suspicious movements around banks, markets, or commercial locations should be reported immediately,” she said.

Kwara State has a history of high-profile robberies, most notably the 2018 Offa bank attack, which resulted in the deaths of about 30 people, including civilians and police officers, marking it as one of Nigeria’s deadliest heists in recent times.

Authorities have vowed to track down the perpetrators swiftly and prevent a recurrence of such brazen attacks in the State.