Nigerian Police in Lagos have arrested suspected members of the 22-man
robbery gang that invaded the Lekki branch of First City Monument Bank,
FCMB, two months ago in Lagos, killing five persons.
Recovered from the suspects were a 2008 model Honda Accord car purchased
by one of the suspects from his share of the loot; a white Blackberry
Z10 phone, one Apple i-Phone 5, one military face cap, used during the
operation, and 120 expended ammunition.
Preliminary investigation revealed that some of the suspects were oil
bunkerers recruited from Delta, Ondo and Arepo in Ogun State. They were
identified as Duke Odogbo, 38; Lawrence Kingsley, 31; Ebi Tosan, 20, and
Ekelemo Kuete, 30.
One of the suspects, Odogbo, who gave a graphic explanation of how the
bank robbery took place, revealed that it took the gang 24 hours to plan
the operation...
He further told a crowd at the Police Command headquarters, where they
were paraded, that his share of the N15 million loot was N500,000.
According to him, “I was invited by a friend from Warri, Delta State, to
come for bunkering job. But on reaching Lagos, I was told it was a bank
robbery.
“I told them I was into bunkering and not robbery. But because they told
me we were going to make much money from it, I decided to join them.
“On the day of the operation, we left Tarkwa Bay at about 4.30 p.m., in
two boats; with 11 persons on each. But one of the boats developed fault
on the way. We all entered the good one.
“We got to the bank few minutes after 5p.m. Immediately we left the
canal, some of us went to the road and started firing, thereby making
way for those of us that would go inside. I led the team that went in.
“We were all putting on Army camouflage. I shattered the entrance glass
with bullets and when we got inside, we demanded for the money realized
for that day. The manager told us they did not make much.
“But we broke into one of their strong rooms where we got some money. We
also broke into two ATM boxes, but there was no money in either of
them. We told ourselves that the operation must not exceed 40 minutes.
“To my surprise, by the time we were leaving, I discovered that my
colleagues were with seven extra rifles. When I asked, they said they
saw some policemen in a van, concluded they were there for us and shot
at them. I was not the one that shot the policemen. I did not kill
anyone.
“It was when we got to the forest, located in an island in Ikorodu that
we discovered that the amount stolen was N15 million and I got N500,000.
I used my share to boost my bunkering business.”
On another revelation, Kuete confessed that he drove one of the speed boats, adding that he was given N50,000 at the end of the operation.
Kuete, who resides at Arepo area of Ogun State, said: “I must confess, I
knew that we were going to rob a bank. I am a bunkerer at Arepo and I
make at least N80,000 from each operation.
“I was hired to take them to the bank. I remained in the boat with four others, while the rest left for the bank.
“When they came back, we headed straight for our hideout, where our
leaders shared the money according to individual’s involvement. I got
N50,000.”
Parading the suspects, the command boss gave the identities of those who
lost their lives in the operation as Inspector Bethel Agbobu, Sergeant
Odehowho George, Corporal Imoise Ikechukwu, Mr. Sowemimo Kabiru and Miss
Sarah Ibikunle, the 15-year-old girl, who sold fish close to the bank.
Culled from vanguard