Robbers invade Vine Branch Church in Ibadan, kill 2 police officers

THE first Sunday service in March at Vine Branch Church, Queen Elizabeth  Road Ibadan, ended in a traumatic experience on Sunday, as armed robbers invaded the church with an attempt to cart away 'The Lord's offering and tithe,' killing two police officers in the process.

Nigerian Tribune reliably gathered that the robbers were suspected to have laid ambush in the church, only to swoop on the officer of a second generation bank who usually come to pick the church offering and tithe.

It was also gathered that the officer had stepped into the church to pick the cash while the robbers who were already inside the church swooped on him. On sensing that the bank officer had not taken possession of the 'goodies', the robbers shot in the air and caused panic among members. - Tribune

As the robbers were attacking the bank official in the church, simultaneously, two police officers who were 'cooling their nerves' in their van, one in front of the van and the other sitting at the back, were shot dead right in their van. Interestingly, the driver of the bank's vehicle was spared.

An eyewitness informed the Nigerian Tribune that an attempt by one of the robbers to shoot the driver, who was in mufti, was saved by another colleague who reportedly argued that the driver was not a police officer.

The gunshots thus alerted members of the church, causing confusion in the church as members scampered for safety. Some other members of the church who sustained injuries while scampering for safety were said to be receiving treatment in a nearby hospital after the incident.

When the robbers also got wind that their actions could be monitored from the projector hung in the church auditorium and the monitor room, they attempted to cut all monitoring networks around the church.

However, the robbers searched frantically but were unsuccessful in their attempts to  get the cash.