Three suspected armed robbers have dispossessed a commercial motorcycle rider, Chinedu Ogba, of the sum of N83,000 meant for the purchase of a new bike at a dealer’s shop in the Tolu area of Ajegunle, Lagos
State.
Ogba said he was robbed by the hoodlums while he was about to pay the balance of N83,000 for the new bike to the motorcycle
dealer.
The victim told our correspondent that his old motorcycle was faulty and he decided to sell it at the rate of N83,000, adding that after bargaining with the seller of the new motorcycle he wanted to purchase, they arrived at N220,000 as the total
cost.
Ogba said he had earlier borrowed N149,000, which he deposited with the dealer before selling his old motorcycle.
The victim explained further that when he went with his younger brother to the shop of the motorcycle dealer, he did not have any foreboding of danger lurking around the corner, until he brought out the money to
pay.
He said it was at this point that three men of the underworld stormed the dealer’s shop on a motorcycle, pulled out two guns and pointed them at him, his brother, motorcycle dealer and his sales boy.
According to him, “My former motorcycle had been giving me problem; so I had to sell it. But before I sold it for N83,000.00, I had to bargain with a woman operating beer parlour to raise money enough to purchase a new motorcycle. She loaned me N149, 000.00. I deposited the money with the dealer. After selling my old machine, I wanted to complete the money for
the new one so that I could go with my new bike, but the devil struck. Although the owner of the business wasted much time on making calls, when he was ready to allow me to choose the motorcycle I wanted to pay for, three armed robbers on one motorcycle
came.
“Two of them got off the motorcycle that brought them while the rider was on it without turning off its engine. I was inside with the owner of the business when suddenly, two men pushed my brother, Ikenna and the sales boy inside the shop.
They brought out two guns and ordered me to bring out the money. I handed all the money with me to them, including my handset. They collected Ikenna’s handset and his N3,000.00. They also dispossessed the owner of the business his handset. Before they escaped from the scene, they shot twice into the air. Now I’m in trouble over repayment.
“The matter was reported at the Tolu Police Station, where the policemen said I had not handed over the money to the motorcycle dealer before the armed robbers struck. They said if the money had been collected by
the hoodlums from the motorcycle dealer, they would have ordered him to make a refund to me. Now, I have to pay back the money I borrowed and also pay for the balance of the motorcycle.
Although the policemen settled the matter very well. They said every month I should be paying N20, 000.00 to the motorcycle dealer. I take it as my fate. Or what do I do?”he
asked.
The motorcycle dealer told the police that the armed robbers came suddenly and dispossessed him, his customer, Ogba and his younger brother, Ikenna, of their money and
handsets.
He corroborated Ogba’s account of the robbery incident, but insisted that Ogba should pay him the balance because he had yet to collect the N83,000 cash from him before the hoodlums struck and snatched it.
