Robbers lay siege to hotels, restaurants in Ibadan... We are up to the task - DCP

By Rotimi Omole

A cross-section of robbery suspects recently
paraded by the police in Ibadan.NIGHT life and social activities in Ibadan metropolis have been at the lowest ebb in the last two months as armed robbers lay siege to hotels, restaurants and relaxation centres.

Crime File investigation had revealed that armed bandits recently snatched five cars from night crawlers who were on their way to a popular hotel in Joyce B area of Ibadan.

A fortnight ago, the Development Support Centre and the Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ) Press Centre, both located in Iyaganku area of Ibadan, were also raided by armed robbers who were mostly youths.

It was gathered that the bandits held the visitors and guests hostage for 30 minutes and succeeded in carting away valuables and handsets. Crime File reliably learnt that the state Deputy Commissioner of Police Mr. Raphael Ibeazor, promptly ordered his men to fish out members of the robbery gang who were responsible for the robbery operations at the NUJ press.

However a Jeep car with registration number 922 KJA used during the robbery operation at the centre was recovered by the police the third day in Ibadan while the occupants took to their heels on sighting the police at a checkpoint.

Top A, One hotel located at Podo area, along Ijebu Ode road was also raided by a gang of armed robbers early in the month of March while a nightguard attached to a restaurant in Academy area of Iwo Road was murdered in cold blood by armed bandits who invaded the area.

Some residents of Are Avenue and Foodco area of Bodija were also at the mercy of bandits who visited their area in the last week of March, while CIDA Resort Centre at NTC Road, was not left out by the bandits.

A resident who spole with Crime File on condition of anonymity however, attributed the rising criminal activities to the absence of a substantive Commssioner of police in the state.

According to him, "it is true that the Special Anti-Robbery Section (SARS) men are trying their best while the DCP has also deployed his men to mount road blocks to stop these evil men, we are commending him for these efforts, but we still need a commssioner of Police".

A top police officer who spoke with Crime File on condition of anonymity however debunked the claim that the absence of a susbtantive commssioner of police was responsible for the increase in crime rate.

According to him, “As part of the effort put in place by the DCP to stop the trend, he has mandated senior officers to join in the patrol at night. While reacting to the spate of robbery incidents, the state Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr. Raphael Ibeazor stated that his men were up to the task.

According to him, “we are up to the task, we’ve deployed our men to patrol some areas within Ibadan metropolis, we’ve also increased the number of our men on patrol. Interestingly, some of the senior officers in the command are also joining the patrol team at night to ensure that we’re not giving criminals breathing space in this state.

“For instance, a few days ago, my men recovered a white Expedition Jeep car from a gang of armed robbers, we got a report from residents in Agugu area of Ibadan that some young men were in a popular hotel in that area (name withheld) and that they were suspecting them to be armed robbers.

I promptly deployed my men from the Special Anti-Robbery Section (SARS) to lay ambush for them around the hotel while coming out, my men trailed them, they ran into a police check point, and refused to stop for routine check. Instead of stopping, they fired at my men, they retaliated and engaged them in gun duel, two of them were killed while others abandoned the Jeep and ran for cover.

A resident of Agugu area told us about 20 minutes later that they saw the bandits evacuating their dead colleagues into another vehicle and ran away after abandoning the Jeep. Bullets fired at them by my men must have pierced the Jeep and felled two of the bandits.

“In addition, we recently paraded 18 robbery suspects, after a thorough interrogation, we discovered that some of the suspects were caught in hotels and restaurants.

“Two weeks ago, we arrested a 24-year-old, ex-student of the Polytechnic, Ibadan, and four other members of a notorious gang of armed robbers who have been unleashing terror on the residents of Ibadan metropolis for the past three weeks.”

While explaining how the suspects were arrested, the DCP said two days after a robbery incident, through the assistance of a GSM network, a call history of one of the robbed handsets was obtained. “We were able to arrest them through the sustained technical assistance of the GSM network while the following exhibits were recovered from them; one sharp handset, one Nokia 1100 handset and one Nokia 2350 handset.”

While assuring members of the public that the police will always live up to expectations in the area of security, the police boss, however, appealed for useful tips on the movement of criminals from members of the public. He also warned criminals to steer clear, adding that the newly-reconstituted Special Anti-Robbery Squad would be too hot for them, if they failed to desist from their nefarious activities.