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This resurging trend has no doubt thwarted the relative peace hitherto enjoyed by Lagosians for some time.
A close observation of crime statistics in the state, showed that a similar trend in the sequence of bank robberies occurred about seven years ago,where several policemen were killed by men of the underworld during operations.
Between January and July , 2015, three major bank robberies with same pattern of operation have occurred in the state .
Thursday , March 12, 2015
First, was the bank robbery operation at the high brow Lekki area, penultimate Thursday.
Commercial activities went on at usual, with workers looking forward to retiring home in the evening , when all of a sudden, some fierce looking gunmen, said to have come in through the lagoon, into an empty but fenced land beside a shopping complex which borders two second generation banks , by the Lekki round about , end of the bridge, came visiting.
Like a Hollywood scene, the gun wielding men said to have been dressed in Military fatigue uniform, announced their presence with volleys of gun shots. They made their way unhindered into the banks, shattering the electronic security doors which ordinarily would have rejected anyone with metal object, with bullets.
At the end of the operation, the robbers left in their trail the death five persons; three policemen- Inspector Bethel Agbobu, Sergeant Odehowho George and Corporal Imoise Ikechukwu and two civilians ; Mr. Sowemimo Kabiru and Miss Sarah Ibikunle, a15-year-old girl, who sold fish close to the bank. Several millions of naira were carted away, as well as the service riffles of the dead policemen.
June 1, 2015
One would have expected that to be the end of such ugly incident in the state , following the arrest of four suspects who claimed to have participated in the operation, two months later, with the recovery of a 2008 model Honda Accord car purchased by one of the suspects from his share of the loot.
Also recovered was a white Blackberry Z10 phone, one Apple i-Phone 5, one military face cap, said to have been used during the operation, including 120 expended ammunition.
But no! Rather, they stormed two other banks again. This time around, it was the ijede, Ikorodu branch of two second generation banks; where several millions were again carted away.
June 24, 2015
Same month, precisely on June 24, 2015, men of the underworld stormed the Ipakodo , Ikorodu branch of two first generation banks again . In this case, they threw caution to the dogs by daring policemen whose station was right opposite the banks.
Although the policemen reportedly tried to repel the hoodlums but they were outrightly overwhelmed by their number and sophisticated weapons which included dynamites. The race for dear life transcended age limit as both the young and old took to their heels in different directions in order not to be hit by stray bullets.
While the shooting spree by the gang members stationed outside the banks lasted , their gun touting colleagues proceeded to the banking halls . And ike people who were in no hurry to leave, they reportedly took their time to put the wades of naira notes into some bags. At the end of what could be termed a successful operation, they made away with N80 million , escaping through the jetty.
Trail customers from bank
On the other hand, hoodlums have also resorted to trailing bank customers, particularly those who had gone to withdraw money from banks. Their modus oparandi include posing as bank customers . Like other customers, they would be in the banking halls, looking out for customers who will be withdrawing huge amount. Immediately, they sight any target, those in the banking hall will contact their colleagues outside , describing the target to them.
Sometimes, members of the gang will station around the bank looking out for customers who have gone to withdraw money. On sighting any, they would trail him to a safe place, from where they would dispossess one of the withdrawn amount.
Vanguard’s staff
A recent occurrence was that of Vanguard’s Assistant Labour Editor, Victor Ahiuma-Young . But for providence, Ahiuma-Young would have been reported among those whose life was snuffed out of, by men of the underworld. Ahiuma-Young, was shot, Monday, April 20, 2015, by gunmen along
Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, after robbing him of an undisclosed amount of money he had gone to withdraw from the Sadiku branch of a second generation bank..
The two gunmen were said to have trailed him from the bank to a newspaper vendor’s stand where he intended to get some of the dailies.
As he was about to pick some, one of the gunmen shot him in the thigh, before ordering him to hand over the money he went to withdraw. In shock, Young turned to see who the intruder was, only to be fired at a second time. At that point, everyone at the busy bus-stop took to their heels, including commercial motorcyclists, leaving Young to his fate.
In an attempt to wade off the intruder, Young picked a stone and hurled it at him. As he went for another, the gunman shot him in the hand, forcing the money he had gone to withdraw to fall off.
The gunman picked the money and jumped onto their operational motorcycle, where his partner was waiting, and they zoomed off, leaving Young half-dead in a pool of his blood.His case according to Crime Alert’s findings was not the first along that axis.
A month before then, a teenager whose father had given an unspecified amount withdrawn from same bank to take home reportedly had his wrist chopped off by gunmen operating on motorcycles and the money carted away. Shortly after Young’s incident, another man was attacked while coming out from the bank.
Unfortunately, the unidentified man could not leave to narrate his ordeal as he reportedly bled to death before help could come. Since November last year, over 30 attacks on bank customers had reportedly been witnessed between Sadiku and Berliet axis of the express-way.
Pastor Okpokpo too
The list of those trailed from banks by gunmen is endless. Barely two weeks ago, unknown gunmen, shot dead Lagos State Coordinator of The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministries, Pastor Chukwuemeka Okpokpo, at Apple Junction, Amuwo Odofin area of the state, while on his way from the Amuwo Odofin branch of a second generation bank, where he had gone to withdraw the sum of N3 million on behalf of the church.
Reports said Pastor Okpokpo tried to escape when it became obvious that he was their target. But he reportedly slowed down on reaching a bad spot along the the road, where the hoodlums who operated on a motorcycle shot at the tyres of the Chosen vehicle he was driving, thereby bringing the vehicle to an abrupt halt.
From that vantage position, they reportedly fired Okpokpo in the stomach before making away with the withdrawn money.
As you read this piece, the body of Pastor Okpokpo is lying in the morgue in his home town in Amizi, Ikwuano Local Government Area of Umuahia of Abia State. Unfortunately, till date, no arrest has been made in connection with Okpokpo’s death nor that of Vanguard’s Labour Assistant Editor.
Militants, pipeline vandals fingered
Although some arrests have been made in connection with the bank operations in Lekki, Ijede and Ipakodo, Ikorodu area of Lagos, but there are indication that this resurgence of bank robbery may not be abated ,except drastic proactive measures are applied by the Police.
This is because suspects arrested in connection with these bank robberies were discovered to be recruited from the Niger Delta region of the state. They include oil bunkerers and pipeline vandals.
This disclosure was made by the suspects, some of who confessed to be pipeline vandals who opted into robbery because of the launch on them by the Military, particularly those at the Ikorodu axis. One of those paraded Monday by the outgone Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Kayode Aderanti , disclosed that pipeline vandals were being recruited into robbery,.
According to the suspect, identified as Monday Omoboye who claimed to be a pipeline vandal, he said he was recruited into the gang by a colleague. According to him :”
I met them at the creeks last year. I thought they were going to vandalise pipeline and decided to join them. But I had no keg with me . It was about 2pm. I drove the speed boat . Before I knew it we found ourselves at Lekki/Epe axis. When I asked what they were going to do there, they said they were going for operation.
They left me in the boat with a directive not to move. One of them with a gun even stayed behind to ensure I won’t run away with the boat . After the operation, I took them back to the creeks . At the end I was given N400,000. I concluded there and then to follow them again since it was not as stressful as pipeline vandalism.
Because some of our members have been killed by joint Military force during operation.
I also conveyed them to the bank robbery operations at Ijede at the end of which I was given N2 million.
The last one which was at Ipakodo, in Ikorodu, I was also given N2 million. Other members of the gang are militants from Niger Delta. I d o not know them . We only meet during operation. I was told they usually leave a day after operation.
Challenge before the new CP
As the former Lagos CP, kayode Aderanti handed over the baton of the command’s leadership to his successor Monday, Mr Fatai Owoseni , exceptions of Lagosians on him are high , particularly in the area of dousing the seeming spate of violent crimes in the state.
Owoseni who was among the 37 Deputy Commissioners of Police has been mandated by the federal police hierarchy to reverse the crime wave in the state, in order for the Lagosians to sleep with their two eyes closed. One hopes he will apply security strategy that would bring violent crimes to the barest minimal in the state.
Source: Vanguard
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