The Lagos State Police Command has
arrested eight suspected members of a
trans-border robbery gang, among them
a 59-year-old man, who confessed to
have carried out robbery operations in
Benin Republic, Mali, among other
countries within West Africa. The gang’s
recent operation was reportedly carried
out in a bank in Porto Novo, Benin
Republic, where over N100 million was
carted away.
Recovered from the suspects were two
AK-47 rifles, 11 AK-47 loaded magazines
and their operational vehicle, a Toyota
Sienna bus, which has an inbuilt
compartment where weapons are kept.
Briefing newsmen on the arrest
yesterday, Lagos State Police
Commissioner, Kayode Aderanti, said:
“On December 15, 2014, at
about11:30p.m., I received information
about some deadly trans-border armed
robbers in Iba, Festac and Igando areas
and immediately directed the Officer
in-Charge of the Special Anti-Robbery
Squad, Abba Kyari, to go after them.
“Thereafter, two SARS decoy teams, led
by Kyari, stormed the robbers’ hideout
at Victory Estate, Iba, along Lasu-Igando
Road, where Samuel Igbi, 59, Anthony
Umeh, 38, were arrested.
“Their confessions led to the arrest of
the following gang members: Chineye
David, 29; Uchenna Eze, 35; Victor
Anamalechi, 45; Ifeanacho Igwe, 35;
Desmond Obinna, 32, and Nnamdi John,
42.
“John is the armourer and gang leader,
from whom the operational vehicle,
with number plate KSF876CU and two
AK-47 rifles with serial numbers
3610142 and UR4341, hidden in a
specially constructed compartment
underneath the vehicle, were recovered.
“The suspects confessed to several
robberies, including a bank robbery in
Porto Novo, Benin Republic; a filling
station and a bureau de change in Mali;
attempted robbery of UBA Shagamu
Road, Ikorodu; several robberies in Port
Harcourt and Kano.
“The biggest of them all is the N100
million successful robbery at Alakija
area of Lagos, from which John built a
mansion at Igando area of Lagos.
“Igwe also built a duplex in his village
in Onicha council of Ebonyi State”
Parading the suspects before newsmen,
suspected leader of the gang, John, a
trader at the popular Alaba
International Market, narrated how the
Porto Novo, Benin Republic bank
operation was carried out.He said:
“We went to Benin Republic in our
operational space bus at night, after
receiving information from one of our
members, Onyema.
“We entered through the back and tied
the two security guards that were asleep
with strings. Thereafter, we located the
vault and collected as much money as
we could lay our hands on before
leaving the place. We did not kill
anybody.At the end of the operation, I
got N7 million; Victor got N7 million;
Onyeka, N3 million; Igwe, N3 million. I
used part of my share to buy a Toyota
Corolla car and invested the remaining
in my music instrument business.
“I have participated in several robberies
since I joined the gang in 2011. In one
of the operations at a filling station in
Mali, I got N18 million. I handled one of
the guns, but have not killed anyone.We
do not shoot during operations outside
the country because police do not patrol
at night,” said the secondary school
drop-out.
My specialty are vaults—Victor
Another suspect, Victor, told journalists
that his role was to open vaults during
operations, boasting that there was no
vault too hard for him to open.
He said:
“Anytime we went on operation, my
role is to open the vaults. I use a special
metal to open the lock of the vault, even
if it had special codes.I bought three
vehicles from the loots; two for me and
one for my wife.”
He lamented that if he knew he would
meet his waterloo, he would not have
gone to meet one of the gang’s members
at Apple Junction in Festac Town.
Fifty-nine years old Samuel Igbi, who
initially claimed he had nothing to do
with the other suspects, later confessed
that his house was used as a base for
sharing loots at the end of every
operation.
He added that he was usually given
between N20,000 and N50,000.
On his part, Ifeanacho Igwe said he
used part of his loot to buy three trucks,
which were currently working for him.
The CP said the suspects would be
charged to court, when strike is called
off, warning criminals to stay away
from Lagos, or suffer same fate.
