Bullet hit the Minister's house as troops clashed with the robbers|Courtesy

Unknown armed men attacked the house of the Animal Resource and Fisheries National Minister in Juba and stole more than SSP.3 million, three guns and mobile phones on Tuesday.

Minister Onyoti Adigo says three armed men stormed the house at 8:00 pm and put all the family members including his wife and children in one room at a gunpoint.

“They were three in number, one a Kalashnikov, and two had pistols. They went around searching for things in my house.”

According to Adigo, the robbers slapped his wife after she replied to them there was no dollar in the house.

“They went to my room and called my wife to give them dollars, but my wife said there is no dollars so they slapped her.

“Again they said give us dollar and my wife said there is no dollar so they beat her with the back of the gun and pushed her,” Adigo recounted the incident.

He told Eye Radio, he was in a room upstairs when one of his daughters ran to him and informed him about  the robbers in the building.

Mr Onyoti said the attackers tried searching for him, citing that they are suffering because of the government, but made no attempt to his room.

“The other one said to leave the old lady, so they started searching for me, and they said we would not leave this minister, we would kill him.

“They said it is the government making us hungry, we are starving and they are eating money. If we get him, we will kill him if he does not give us dollars.”

Minister Adigo said the robber went away with more than two million pounds, two Kalashnikovs, seven mobile phones, and his passports among other belongings.

“They took seven phones of my boys and my daughters. I had some money which I bought from the bank yesterday because I am doing something, around ssp 2 million five hundred.

“I had 50 euros which was left when I visited Rome last time, and around four hundred fifty-four USD plus my diplomatic passport and ordinary passport. They also took them all plus the other money from my children which is around 30 thousand pounds and the two Kalashnikovs and one pistol.”

Minister Adgo said while the robbers terrorized the house, he phoned the inspector of General of Police who quickly sent troops to rescue the family.

He said the armed men ran away after clashing with a joint operation force.

“I took my phone and called the Inspector General of Police and he was quick to pick up my call, and I told him I was being attacked in my house. He sent some troops and they clashed with them near the house until they ran away.”

Adigo said the economic crisis is to blame and stressed the need for the government to address the situation.

“All this is because of the economic hardship and the skyrocketing of commodities in the market, and this should be addressed by the government.”