By CHARLES IWUOHA

One of the drivers of the bullion van viciously attacked by armed robbers in Ebonyi State on July 29, 2020 has narrated their ordeal, revealing how he bravely aborted the robbers’ attempt to steal the money he was conveying.

The driver, who spoke to newsmen on Thursday, said they were only two in the ill-fated bullion van which was transferring money from Enugu to Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital.

The drivers are on contract with one of the new generation banks in Enugu (name withheld).

The newly contracted driver was on the steering while the other who was directing him to the destination sat on the passenger side.

He said that the going was smooth until they got at Ezzamgbo Junction in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state, where the ugly incident took place.

According to him, hell was suddenly let loose as the robbers started shooting sporadically and bullets started flying from left and right.

The driver narrated how the robbers took various positions at Ezzamgbo Junction awaiting the arrival of the bullion van which had two police vans as escort.

“The bandits were stationed at the point where a flyover is currently being erected by the Ebonyi State Government.

“Due to the work going on, only one-way was being used. The road is also bad at that point such that all vehicles are forced to slow down.”

The driver said it was like a movie as the guns went blazing.

“The next thing we saw was the bodies of the police escorts in the police van that was leading the convoy dropping one after another on the road.

“My colleague urged me to be careful not to run over any of them in case any of them was still alive.

“I did exactly as he suggested and manoeuvred the bullion van through the bodies on the road.

“One of them shot at the van at close range but the bulletproof windscreen didn’t give in. So they started shooting at the tyres.

“Luckily they missed the front tyres but got one of the back ones which deflated instantly.

“I had no choice than to continue without one tyre and was moving at 60km per hour.

“I didn’t allow any vehicle to overtake me until I got to Abakaliki. A Lexus Jeep tried severally to overtake but I kept blocking the vehicle.

“We met three police checkpoints afterwards and I alerted them, but none of them agreed to my request for an escort to Abakaliki.

“They rather advised I parked at the check point – that I was safe – but I ignored them till l got to our destination.

“My brother, it was like a journey to hell. We met death face-to-face but God delivered us.”

The driver further explained that the robbers focused more on the police escorts.

He said: “Having gunned down those in the lead police van, they started shooting at the back-up van at the rear.

“At the same time they tried to demobilise the bullion van but I refused to stop. It was the Lord’s doing and we give thanks to Him.”