By MATTHEW KALU, Umuahia

There was pandemonium in Umuahia, Abia State capital, Friday morning when dare- devil armed robbers struck along the ever-busy Ossah Road, Umuahia.

The heavily armed robbers who shot sporadically, killed a Police Escort attached to a Chinese expatriate, shot his driver and made away with N3 million belong to the Chinese who managed to escape.

The robbery incident occurred at about 10 a.m., causing pandemonium around the state capital as people hurriedly shutting down their businesses and were seen running helter-skelter for their dear lives, thinking that unknown gunmen were attacking the state administrative headquarters of Correctional Centres in Abia because of the heavy gunfire that accompanied the robbery incident.

Witnesses said the robbers who trailed the Highlander Jeep of the expatriate from Osisioma in Aba to Umuahia, laid ambush for their target beside Okigwe Motor Park axis of Mission Hill of Ossah Road where there was traffic gridlock caused by a broken down vehicle, forcing motorists to use only one lane of the road.

It was gathered that as soon as the jeep of the expatriate appeared after a transaction in a commercial bank in Umuahia, the robbers opened fire on his jeep, killing his Police Escort on the spot and shot the driver who escaped to a nearby bush.

He was, however, later rescued in the pool of his blood and rushed to Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, for medical attention.

It was gathered that the robbers who engaged other security operatives in a shootout, quickly disappeared from the scene immediately they grabbed their loot.

Abia State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Geoffrey Ogbonna, confirmed the incident.

Umuahia was calm as at the time of filing this report as security operatives were seen patrolling the metropolis of the capital city.