Police, acting on a tip from a security guard have foiled an attempted robbery at City Oil fuel station in Kisementi on Thursday afternoon.
A group of seven suspected robbers drove into the fuel station at 2pm driving in a grey Toyota Noah only to find police officers dressed in civilian attire. An exchange of bullets would later ensue according to witnesses.
Osiel Charles, a security guard with SGA Company told ChimpReports that he received information since Monday about the robbery and told management. However he said management ignored the tip.
“I received information on Monday about people who wanted to rob this place. I told management but they ignored it,” he said.
“So, this morning at around 8am I got another call from a friend of mine who is a police CID about the same intel.”
Osiel said that at 1pm he again received a call and was told that the robbers would come with a Toyota Noah vehicle that had no registration plates. “They got here at around 2pm, they parked the car and reversed.”
By this time, the civilian dressed officers had deployed at the fuel station. “Police started shooting the tyres of the car while I put the driver on gun point,” Osiel said.
He said the 7 robbers were armed with 2 AK-47 rifles and 2 pistols. “They were dressed ‘gently’ and had no masks on.”
Police officers and onlookers at the scene
The Division Police Commander for Kiira, Philbert Waibi told journalists that the suspected robbers are in police custody but could not reveal details.
“There was a group of robbers who wanted to rob City Oil petrol station but fortunately we arrived in time and foiled the robbery. There was exchange of fire between us and the wrong elements” Waibi told journalists.
ChimpReports has however learnt that one person, Paulson Lumanyika a supervisor at City Oil has been injured during the shootout. “He was shot in the left chest and his situation is not good. He has been taken to Mulago,” a one Mubarak, another worker told ChimpReports.
There was visible blood tainted on the floor of the scene, suspected to have been from some of the injured ‘robbers’. Later, workers at City Oil were seen washing off the blood.