Armed robbers on Thursday invaded the Jos Zonal office of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), broke all the offices and carted away valuable items.
The robbers, who scaled the office’s fence around 3.30 a.m., tied the security man on duty before carrying out their operation.
Among the items stolen were NAN’s official camera, a Nikon D300, three HP laptops, two digital cameras, a voice recorder and personal effects of some staff.
Yakubu Umar, the security man on duty, said he was on a routine patrol of the compound when he noticed the robbers breaking windows from behind the main building.
“They immediately grabbed me, beat me up and tied me down.
“After tying me down, they embarked on their operation while I writhed in pains.
“It was after they left that I managed to crawl to the gate; my cries drew the attention of security men guarding other offices at the other side of the road, who later reached out to my colleagues,” he said.
NAN Zonal Manager, Ephraim Sheyin, described the development as “very sad and shocking; very devastating, really.”
He said that the matter had been reported to the Anglo-Jos Police Division which sent an investigating officer to the scene.
“There was even one very interesting angle to the incident when the policeman came.
“He said that the rope used in tying the NAN security man is exactly the type used to tie the security men of PRTV, NTA College and AIT/Ray Power station, whose offices came under robbery attacks recently,” he said.
Emmanuel Nwoye, an assistant editor-in-chief, who untied the security man in the morning, at about 6.55 a.m., said he met him gasping for breath.
“The first thought that came to my mind on sighting him was to leave him in that state for security men that may want to see him that way, but he was almost giving up after staying that way for long, and in the rain.
“So, I quickly looked for a knife and cut the ropes with which they tied his hands behind his back, and his legs,” he said.
