The Nollywood industry in Nigeria was thrown into mourning early Tuesday, 14 October in Asaba, capital of Delta State, when one of its actors, Clem Onyeka, was killed in a gun battle between operatives of the Delta State Police Command and daredevil armed robbers who attempted to hijack a bullion van.

It was gathered from eye-witnesses, that the deceased was driving in his car along DSB Road, when he got caught between the fire power of the police trying to resist men of the underworld who were bent on making a way with the content of a bullion van coming from Awka in Anambra State, heading towards the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), located on Mariam Babagida Way.

“A stray bullet found its way into the actor’s car and hit him on the head, killing him immediately,” an eyewitness told the media.

“The robbers shot continuously at the bullion van but the driver succeeded in escaping with the content of the van intact. Several persons were caught in the cross-fire and they got injured.”

The robbers allegedly escaped through the Benin-Onitsha expressway in a Toyota Camry, witnesses said.

Public Relations Officer Delta State Police Command, DSP Celestina Kalu, confirmed the incident, saying the command has already put mechanism to track down the criminals in place.

Meanwhile, Onyeka’s body has been deposited to the mortuary.