HAPPENING NOW:
Eight suspected trans-border armed robbers were Thursday paraded by personnel of the Lagos State Police Command for their involvement in various robberies including N100m around Alakija, Festac and a micro finance bank in Benin Republic.
Also paraded were a Toyota Sienna bus, two AK 47 rifles, 11 AK47 loaded magazines, which the suspects allegedly hid in a specially constructed compartment underneath the bus.
The suspects, John Nnmadi, 42, (leader); Ifeanacho Igwe, 35, Samuel Igbi, 59, Anthony Umeh, 38, Chineye David, 29, Uchenna Eze, 35, Victor Anamalechi, 45 and Desmond Obinna, 32, were said to have been rounded up after the police received intelligence report on December 15, last year.
The suspects, most of who were interviewed by reporters during the parade claimed they have participated in not more than four operations.
Unaware that one of his members was in police net, Nnamdi, the gang leader after receiving a call from the member, moved to deliver his international passport as requested but was caught.
His arrest and confession led to the clamp down of other gang members by the police.
Eventhough the robbers have been in police custody since December, they showed no sign of remorse, rather, they bickered among themselves on who got the highest loot at each of the operations they had carried out within and outside Nigeria.
Nnamdi, the gang leader said he collected N20m from the Alakija operation out of which he bought an Infinity jeep and other cars, but his claim was discredited by Ifeanacho who said they both collected N28m each.
He said: “I got N28m and from the money I bought a tipper truck and a car. I also completed my mother’s house in Onicha LGA in Ebonyi State and sponsored my younger ones in school.
“I was arrested in Cotonou and jailed for 20 months because I went with a friend to buy guns to start my own gang. But we have not even bought the guns when we were arrested. It was a set up.
“I was released on December 31 and came to Lagos only for the police to arrest me on January 5, for an operation we carried out in 2011.
“It was someone who asked me to escort him to Cotonou to buy the guns. We were supposed to meet someone in Cotonou.
“When I received my own N28m from the Alakija operation, I ran away from the gang. Broke my SIM card and bought another line. I bought a bus which I started using for commercial purpose and my tipper was carrying sand.
“But the tipper had an accident and killed someone. It also fell into water. I have not followed the group for another other operation. I did not go with them for the Cotonou operation in November,” he said.
Nnamdi told The Nation he was arrested after he got a call from one of his members to bring an international passport forgotten in their operational vehicle.
“It was Shola (Chineye David) who usually gave us information on where to rob. One Onyema contacted him for the Cotonou operation and he told us.
“We entered the bank in the night from the back and we tied the security guards who were sleeping.
“Victor specialises in opening saves and so, he was the one who opened the bank. We saw a bag there and used it in packing the CFA. We released the security men after our operation.
“When the money was shared, I got N7m, Shola N7m, Victor N7m and Onyema got up to N3m, the same thing with Nwa Father and others.
“I bought Corolla for N1.5m in Lagos. We were not caught and we used this Sienna car for the operation. We don’t usually have problems at the borders because they don’t check our vehicle. We hide our gins under the Sienna.
“What we got in the Alakija operation was over $ 200 thousand and when we shared the money, my share was N18m. That was in 2011.
“From the money I bought Infinity jeep. I am not the one who built the house, it is my brother who is in France that owns the mansion at Igando.
“I used part of my money to start importation of musical instruments which I sold at Alaba International market. I used to sell the items and started the business with N3.5m but when I made money from robbery, I started importing.
“I was arrested when Onyema called me to bring his international passport which he forgot in the Sienna. I did not know he has been arrested.
“I have gone for about four operations in Nigeria and Benin Republic I have not gone to any other country. We have never killed or shot anyone because we usually go at night and don’t shoot.
“I usually hold one of the guns and give one of my guys another one. I have never used charm but I pray before going for operation.
“I am a Catholic, I go for confessions but I have never told the Priest that I am an armed robber. I am from Obinwa in Abia State. I am married with a child and my wife is currently pregnant. She does not know I am an armed robber.
“When I was arrested at Ijebu it was because I had a problem with someone over a vehicle.
“I regret my actions and I want an opportunity to change,” said Nnamdi.
How they were arrested
Addressing reporters before the parade the Police Commissioner, Kayode Aderanti said he got the information at about 11:30pm on that fateful day about some deadly trans-border armed robbers in Iba, Festac and Igando.
Aderanti said upon his directive to the officer in charge of Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS), Abba Kyari (SP), two SARS decoy teams stormed the hide out of the robbers at Victor y Estate, Iba, along the LASU IGANDO road, where Igbonwelundu and Umeh were arrested.
‘Their confession led to the arrest of Chineye David, Uchenna Eze, Victor Anamalechi, Ifeanacho Igwe, Desmond Obinna and Nnamdi John, who is the armourer and gang leader.
“The operational Toyota Sienna space bus with registration number KFC and two AK47 rifles with serial numbers 3610142 and UR4341 hidden in a specially constructed compartment underneath the Toyota Sienna were recovered from Nnamdi.
‘The suspects confessed to several robberies including bank robbery in Port Novo, Benin Republic, a filling station and Bureau De Change robbers in Mali, attempted robbery of UBA Bank, Shagamu road, Ikorodu, several robberies in Port Harcourt, Kano and the biggest of it all, N100m successful robbery in Alakija, Lagos from which Nnamdi John built a mega mansion at Igando and Ifeanacho Igwe built a duplex in his village in Onicha LGA of Ebonyi State.
However, Igbi who claimed he only received N30, 000 from the group said he had no idea they were armed robbers.
He said: “I am a bricklayer and I am from Delta State. In 2011, Friday came to my house with Nnamdi. It was in the night and they told me to excuse them.
“I excused them and when they have finished they gave me N30,000 and I gave my wife N10,000 from the money.
“I do not know they were into armed robbery. I knew them before that night. But it was the only time they shared money in my house. I did not ask them why they were giving me money.
“It was after about one year that news started spreading that N100m was shared in my house.
“I was inside my compound in December when the police stormed and arrested me. My house is at 10, Ugwu Opera, Victory Estate, Iba.
“It is only N30,000 I have collected from them and it was the same day that they came to my house.”
Igbi’s claim was punctured by Chineye David, alias Shola, who told The Nation that they always shared their money in the old man’s house.
“He is aware of our operations. We usually meet in his house and share whatever we get in his place.
“What I received from the Cotonou operation was N5m not N7m. I was not with them at the Alakija operation. What I have made so far is about N6m.
“We changed the CFA at Cotonou and we spent two days there before coming to Lagos. I got to know about the bank because my wife is from Benin Republic and I usually frequent that area.
“I saw how busy the bank was and told my other members that we should attack there.
“I used shaft to open the bank. I took part in the filling station operation and got N300 thousand there. I also got N600 thousand from an operation at a paint shop.
“We have gone to another operation at Igando where tippers and trailers park and I only made N20 thousand. In all, I have made about N6m.
“I used my money to buy a land in Owerri Town in Imo state and I also bought a car. I gave my my family some money too.
“They do not know I am into armed robbery. I used to own a pharmacy store in Owerri but it closed down before I came to Lagos about 15 years ago.
“I was a bus conductor when I got to Lagos but it was baba (Igbi) that introduced me to the gang.
“He knows we go for operations and share what we make in his house.”
To Eze, he joined the gang after and the robbers snatched a bus he was driving.
He claimed he was given the bus to drive and make returns by one of the robbers, who is still at large but when he told the said benefactor of his misfortune, he assured him of better things.
“He told me not to worry that he will speak to his oga on my behalf. That was how I joined the group and my job is to stay with the security guards when they arrest them.”
...culled from Yohaig
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