How armed bandits rattled ATM users - Carted away N.75 million

Saka Gbeminiyi

Mike Okiro It was a bad day for some ATM users of a new generation bank situated along Oba Babatunde Akran Road, Ikeja, last Wednesday night as about four armed robbers on motor bikes stormed the bank’s ATM stand and dispossesed the people of their money and other valuables.

Eye witness account told Sunday Tribune that around 9.pm on Wednesday, some workers going home branched at the bank to withdraw money from the installed ATM machine when the hoodlums attacked them.

Sunday Tribune gathered that the four armed men came to the place as if they also wanted to withdraw money from the machine. After waiting for some minutes and watching how people were withdrawing money, they brought out their pistols and ordered the people to surrender their monies, wristwatches and mobile phones.

Sunday Tribune gathered that the operation which lasted for five minutes went on without any resistance because passersby were unaware of what was going on. The hoodlums, after collecting the money totalling about N75,000, zoomed off on their bikes.

Meanwhile, in its bid to nip cases of armed robbery in the bud, the Lagos State Police Command has started raiding major black spots in the State. The development Sunday Tribune learnt was based on the directive from the Inspector General of Police that Police commands arranged to flush out armed robbers and other criminals from their hideouts.

Consequently, the command stormed various dark spots in Lagos to prevent the criminals from operating.

Security sources told Sunday Tribune that due to series of complaints from members of the public that criminals usually attack motorists whenever there was traffic jam in Apapa area, the police authority have stationed police patrol teams to keep surveillance on the area. Cases of armed robbery attacks have been a daily occurrence in Apapa.

“Apapa is a commercially big area and because people move money about, armed robbery cases have been on the increase especially at closing hours when people are going home. Hoodlums usually take advantage of the frequent traffic jams in the area to unleash mayhem on the people.

A resident of the area narrated the story of a man who jumped into the Lagoon and died while trying to escape from the armed robbers that were pursuing him.

“It was a very pathetic case. The man had a black polythene bag and whenever these bad boys saw anybody carrying bag, they always assume the person was carrying money. In the case of this man, he had a polythene bag and when the boys saw him, they pursued him, and in an attempt to escape,, he jumped into the Lagoon and died.”

Sources at the Police Command told Sunday Tribune that the raiding of black spot would help to stem the wave of armed robbery in the state.

Saula’s murder: IG orders police to re-open case

Saka Gbeminiyi

The Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro has ordered the Lagos State Police Command to re-open the murder case of Alhaji Saka Saula, the former State Chairman of the Lagos State Council of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).

Alhaji Saka Saula was brutally murdered in front of his house on January 6, 2008 by yet to be identified gun men. Apparently determined to get the killers by all means, the IG directed that the Lagos State Police Command should re-open the case.

Dropping the hint in Lagos was the President of NURTW, Alhaji Gidado Hamman while inaugurating a 15 -man caretaker committee to direct the affairs of the union in the state.

He said that fresh investigations will soon start on the case as more people may be invited by the police to give account of what they know about his death.

“The I.G has directed that the case file on Saula should be re-opened. As a result of this, some of you may be invited by the police and I want to use this opportunity to advise you to honour the police invitation whenever you are invited

“In a murder case of this nature, many suspects will be arrested by the police to give account of what they know about the murder, but at the end of the day, I am very sure that the innocent ones will not be punished unjustly. So, I am appealing to you to cooperate with the police on this murder case.” he said.

Alhaji Gidado also used the opportunity to advise members of the union to shun criminal activities and other vices that can tarnish the image of the union. He explained that the green and white uniform of the union is also the national colours and members should not do anything that will discredit the uniform they are wearing.

He said that act of thuggery will no longer be accepted in the union, warning that the union will not hesitate to expel any member who engage in cultism, thuggery and other vices that can tarnish the image of the union.

On crime control, he assured the police authorities that the union will do everything within its power to ensure that armed robbers do not have access to motor parks. He said that arms detectors were now being used in major motor parks to detect arms and ammunition among passengers.