A video of the dramatic robbery incident in Minna, Niger State, on Friday is trending, showing the moment the victim snatched a rifle from one of the robbers and shot at them.
The incident occurred along Shiroro Road in Minna around 3:00 p.m. on March 6, 2026, after the victim, identified as David Adebayo Emmanuel, had made multiple cash withdrawals from two banks in the Niger State capital.
Emmanuel said he withdrew N5 million from a bank shortly before 2:00 p.m., then proceeded to another bank to collect an additional N3 million. He added that he already had about N1 million on him before making the withdrawals.
After leaving the banks, he stopped briefly at Iyafemi Restaurant along Shiroro Road to buy food. According to him, the situation took a sudden turn moments later as he was about to drive off.
He explained that a neatly dressed man approached him and threatened to shoot if he attempted to move.
“At first I thought he was a police officer trying to joke with me, but when he cocked the rifle and pointed it at me, I realised it was a robbery,” Emmanuel recounted.
In a split-second reaction, Emmanuel said he struggled with the attacker and managed to seize the rifle from him before running back into the restaurant premises for cover.
While inside, he fired the weapon toward the suspects even though he had no prior experience handling a gun. He believes one of the robbers was hit during the exchange.
According to him, two other accomplices who had been waiting nearby rushed toward the scene and attempted to flee with their injured colleague. He said the men dragged the wounded suspect toward their vehicle, which had blood stains, but the car failed to start.
The gang reportedly abandoned the faulty vehicle and escaped in Emmanuel’s Toyota Corolla after taking the cash he had withdrawn.
Police sources confirmed that the suspects trailed the victim from the bank before carrying out the attack and eventually fled with both the stolen money and the victim’s car.
The Niger State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, also confirmed the incident, noting that officers later arrived at the scene and recovered the rifle used during the robbery as well as the abandoned vehicle.
He said operatives attached to the Tudun-Wada Police Division responded to the incident and secured the recovered items.
According to the police spokesman, the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Minna for further investigation.
Authorities say efforts are ongoing to track down and arrest the suspects involved in the robbery.
See the dramatic clip here.
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