As Christmas approaches, armed robbers, who specialise in robbing bank customers around Automated Teller Machine points and dispossessing them of cash and other valuables are on the prowl in Lagos, our correspondent has learnt.
This is in spite of the fact that the police in the state have continued to arrest many suspected criminals in different parts of the metropolis.
A victim of these suspected bank robbers, Attahiru Gambari, who related his experience to our correspondent, said he was robbed by hoodlums operating on a commercial motorcycle shortly after he withdrew some money from the ATM of a new generation bank and made to take a bike back to his residence near Satellite Town bus stop.
Gambari said, “As I finished the transaction and was going to my residence near Satellite, I decided not to board a bus. I walked some metres away from the bank because it was already dark. As I waited for a commercial motorcycle, one stopped in front of me and asked where I was going to. But there was already a passenger on the seat. The passenger alighted as if he had got to his destination. He dipped his hand into his pocket as if he was trying to pay the rider. The next thing he did was to point a gun at me, threatening to kill me if I shouted! So, he collected my bag containing the N100, 000 I had just withdrawn and the N10, 000 cash I had on me. My ATM card is also in the bag they snatched.
“Immediately they collected the money from me, they sped off. I was so confused that I even forgot to scream for help. My wife just delivered that same day and I needed the money to settle some expenses. I could not go to the police station. If I had gone to the police station, what would the police ask me? Do you know their faces? If you see them again can you recognise them? What’s the number of the motorcycle? How do you want us to help you now?”
Another victim, who identified himself simply as Victor, was not so lucky when two suspected armed robbers snatched his handbag containing N50, 000 cash, his ATM card, as well as other important documents.
Victor said he was attacked along Warehouse Road, Apapa.
He said, “I had withdrawn N50, 000 and kept my ATM card inside my small hand bag. I was just happy as I was walking from Eleganza area towards Warehouse Road. It was on a Friday; so I was thanking God it was another Friday when I would relax with my friends and unwind in my area at Wilmer. I never knew that the devil had another plan for my money. As I was walking along Warehouse Road, Apapa, in the night around 9pm, one motorcycle rider just stopped by and the passenger greeted me and said: ‘My guy. How things? It has been a long time my brother. Ah! You don’t know me again? See the gun. Just start laughing. My guy, bring it. Just cooperate. Or I will waste you here now. My man. Good man. It has been a very long time.’ That was how I handed them the bag containing the cash and they sped off. I was shocked. I couldn’t shout. It was later I walked towards some people and told them that I was just robbed. The people said they were watching how I and the robbers were talking as if we were friends. So, they did not suspect any criminal act. It was one of them that gave me N500 to pay transport fare back home.”
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command has arrested many suspected bank customers’ robbers at different parts of the metropolis.
The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Imohimi Edgal, said the command arrested seven suspected armed robbers, who were making suspected withdrawals from an ATM around 12.30am.
Edgal said, “Information was received from a credible source that some armed men were sighted making unauthorised withdrawal at Stanbic Bank, Alaba Branch, using the Automated Teller Machine (ATM); that the armed men were suspected to be robbers who might have stolen ATM Cards from unsuspecting members of the public.
“Based on the information, operatives from Ojo Police Station and FSARS, Ikeja, swiftly mobilised to the scene, where they arrested two of the robbers while others escaped. They were immediately searched and in the process, Diamond and UBA Banks ATM Cards and one Nokia Phone belonging to a victim were recovered and the suspects gave their names as Olalekan Ayoola and Sodiq Olalere.
“During interrogation, the suspects confessed to belong to a group of armed robbers, popularly called “Blue Water Boys” and that they had been terrorising residents of Ojo, Agric, Okokomaiko, Ajangbandi, Iba and its environs. They further confessed to have robbed the owner of a restaurant at Araromi Street, Iba and in the process they dispossessed the victim of some ATM cards and phones. One of the suspects, Olalekan Ayoola claimed to be a specialist in hacking into bank accounts using victims’ ATM Cards, SIM Cards, Voters Cards and Drivers’ licence.”
Edgal said the confession of the suspects led to the arrest of the following other gang members: Ayobami Adebayo, 21; Mufutau Ibrahim, 25; Ogundiran Adeniyi, 24; Emmasnuel Chukwu, 25; and Dare Oyetola, 32.
The police boss said that the suspects were nabbed from various locations and their arms and ammunition recovered.
The commissioner of police added that among the exhibits recovered from the suspects were one Diamond Bank ATM Card, one UBA ATM Card, one black Nokia phone, one Samsung Galaxy phone, one Infinix Hot 4 phone, two laptops, one iPhone 7 plus phone, four cut to size single barrel locally made guns, 13 unexpended live cartridges and one expended cartridge.
In another development, the state commissioner of police said his men also arrested a man who went with a gun to attack a man in his house, demanding for money and his ATM card.
He said the victim, identified as Utchay Odims, of plot 382, Ademola Ajasa Street, Omole Estate, Lagos, was in his house, when suddenly a suspect, one Solomon James, forced himself inside and held the complainant hostage at gun point.
He said to avoid being identified, the suspect covered his face with a woven material. He ordered the complainant to lie face down and tied his hands behind his back.
He said, “Thereafter, he started ransacking the entire house and later demanded for the complainant’s ATM Card. He tried to transfer money with the ATM but he could not, due to network failure; he became aggressive and asked the victim to surrender his car key and the original car document, which he did. The suspect who also armed himself with a Gold circle condom asked persistently for the victim’s wife, who was unavailable at that material time. He succeeded in robbing the victim of the sum of thirty eight thousand Naira (N38, 000) and car key, including the ATM card.”
The police boss said, “Police operatives from Lagos State Command swung into action and mobilised to the scene. As soon as the suspect noticed police presence, he jumped the fence to escape but was apprehended. The items so far robbed were recovered from him. During interrogation, it was discovered that the suspect is the complainant’s domestic driver, whose appointment was terminated two months ago.”
