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Equity’s Kisumu branch hit by 2nd robbery attempt

BANKROBBERY

Police gain access to Equity Bank in Kisumu to battle with robbers yesterday. PHOTO | ELIZABETH OJINA | NMG

Equity Bank’s #ticker:EQTY Ang’awa Branch in Kisumu was yesterday the target of a second bank robbery in six years, that ended in a dramatic search of suspects.

Police officers engaged the suspected robbers for hours in a shootout following the robbery attempt yesterday.

A bank manager, several staff and some customers were Tuesday evening still being held in police custody for questioning over the attempted heist.

The dramatic encounter began at around 11am when four suspected robbers are said to have raided the bank premises along Ang’awa Avenue.

From the police reports, one of the suspects who had been cornered inside the bank hurled tear gas inside, which sent people in confusion and running for their dear lives.

Bank workers claim the four men entered the bank demanding cash from one of the cashiers. The lady cashier raised the alarm, prompting the guard at the entrance to lock the bank.

By the time of going to press, the bank manager, a section of the bank staff were still in police custody being interrogated by detectives.

Nyanza regional commissioner Magu Mutindika said police were yet to establish whether any money had been lost.

Mr Mutindika said one of the suspects handed over a note to a cashier demanding the withdrawal of Sh100,000, threatening to shoot her.

“The cashier panicked, prompting some of his accomplices to escape as other customers scampered for safety,” he said.

The police officers manning the building hurriedly closed the main entrance, a move that forced the suspect to hurl a teargas canister as he made his way towards the upper section of the building.

The CCTV footage captured the man changing his shirt before swiftly moving down to escape with other patrons in the ensuing confusion.

“We have the shirt in our custody. We are also going to do further investigations with some of the people we arrested as they attempted to escape from the scene,” Mr Mutindika said shortly after closing the search at 2.38pm.

The police had to force open the doors but failed to get more suspects in the upper floors of the bank.