Armed robbers blow open bank safe

AN armed robber who is part of a five-man gang that used explosives to blow open a safe at Agribank Lupane branch is recovering in hospital under police guard after he was shot.

Police national spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident that happened in the early hours of Tuesday last week.

He identified the suspect as Zenzo Siziba (44) of Lupane.
Asst Comm Nyathi said investigations are underway as police suspect the gang could be linked to other robbery cases.

“It’s a case of armed robbery which we are investigating which occurred at Agribank in Lupane when five suspects attacked a security guard and blew open a safe. They were however, ambushed by police officers before they took the money,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.

He said police officers shot Siziba who was later arrested.
Asst Comm Nyathi said Siziba was taken to St Luke’s Hospital where he was admitted under police guard.

“The suspect has been identified as Zenzo Siziba and we are still investigating. There is no going back in the fight against armed robbers,” he said.

Meanwhile, Siziba who is facing charges of armed robbery in aggravated circumstances, was remanded on his hospital bed to 12 July by Lupane magistrate Ms Barbara Phiri last Thursay.

Ms Phiri advised him to apply for bail at the High Court.
The court was told that a member of the bank’s security team, Mr Isaac Sibanda who was on duty, heard the alarm ringing and went to investigate.

He then found Siziba standing near the door.

Three accomplices suddenly emerged from the darkness and they produced a gun and ordered Mr Sibanda to leave the scene.

The security guard ran away and hid about 30 metres away from the banking hall from where he phoned the bank manager.

While he was still on the phone he heard an explosion in the bank.

The bank manager Mr Nguquko Nkomo immediately alerted police who rushed to the scene and observed the gang fleeing from the bank into the darkness.

Police fired three warning shots resulting in Siziba being shot leading to his arrest.
Police recovered a satchel which had two computer hard drives, three used capped fuses, one dynamite, a screw driver, hammer and shifting spanner.

The hard drives were identified as belonging to Agribank.
The suspects had used a hammer to break the bank door and also damage the CCTV.

This is the second time the bank has been raided by armed robbers after a similar incident in 2019 when six gun-wielding robbers raided the banking hall.

They used a metal bar to break open the front door but fled before entering the banking hall after a security guard fired a warning shot in the air.
— @ncubeleon.