Weekly Trust (Abuja)
Mohammed S. Shehu & Hussain J. Ibrahim
4 August 2007
Kaduna — New tactics, new targets and stronger fire power characterise recent heightening armed robbery incidences across the country.
The week opened with series of gun raids across the country. On Sunday, armed robbers in Lagos laid siege on a bullion van, killed two policemen and fled with unconfirmed sum of money. A day after, another gang of gunmen descended on the Lagos airport bureau de change, killed one, forced safes open and fled with hard currency amounting to millions.
And the robbery campaign went on throughout the week. Armed robbers on Tuesday in Katsina invaded yet another bureau de change. On Thursday, they attacked a bank at Ejigbo area killing three policemen in the process.
It has been like this across the country in the recent past. Series of gun raids, repeatedly reported, continue to plague the country.
Stories of gun-wielding gangs attacking residences, banks, hotels, shops, bureaus de change and commuters inundate the streets around the country. Commuters and motorists are now under perpetual fear of the Nigerian roads while houses and business places are no longer secure from the dreaded armed robbers.
But the police authorities do not believe that banditry is on the rise. Force public relations officer Haz Iwendi told Weekly Trust: "These are normal crimes which are everywhere and are heavily reported. As far as the police service is concerned, the crime rate is not on the increase."
He said some of the attacks cited were isolated and that in other instances, the police were not to blame.
"You talk about bureau de change? How many bureaus de change have been attacked? Do you know how many bureaus de change we have in this country? We have more than 900 bureaus de change in this country. What we have had is two or three cases. We cannot say there have been attacks on them. You also talked about high profile attacks. Is it the one affecting Atiku's lawyer? You heard him on TV blaming the authorities to make sure that when they are repairing road they should not block the road anyhow. That has nothing to do with the police.
"People should know where the problems are and not put the blame on the police. If you block the road and make the road unpassable and there are potholes on the road, this makes it easy for criminals to strike. Is that the fault of the police? Can the police be everywhere? Can the police cover the whole stretch of the country?" Iwendi queried.
Aware of the wave of crime in the country, President Umaru Yar'Adua in his inaugural speech on May 29, assured Nigerians of his resolve to fight crime. "We will move quickly to ensure security of life and property, and make investment safe," Yar'Adua had said.
More than 60 days after this resolve, there appears no end in sight for incidents of armed attacks on private and business places. A day after Yar'Adua's pronouncement, the former chief security officer to Governor Segun Agagu of Ondo State, Tunde Awanebi was killed by a group of gunmen. If anything, armed robbers have become more daring. The mode of their attacks indicates that they no longer fear the security agencies. In addition to raiding police stations, armed robbers waylay cash-conveying police vehicles. It seems also that banks are no longer primary targets, probably because the banks have taken tougher security measures. Now, vulnerable private residences and bureaus de change take the heat.
Even assurances by Inspector General of Police Mike Okiro seem not to be of any effect. The situation has degenerated to the extent that hardly a day passes by without a gory story of robbery attack on innocent people. Few Nigerians in especially urban areas are yet to come face-to-face with armed robbers.
An admission of the rising crime wave came from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Commissioner, John Haruna who said Thursday that the security situation in the FCT has worsened with the increasing cases of broad daylight armed robbery and killings. A total of 203 suspected armed robbers have been arrested in the past one month while 27 suspects were killed in different encounters, the commissioner said.
Disturbed by the rising crime in Abuja, the new FCT minister, Dr Aliyu Modibbo Umar issued a one-week ultimatum for armed robbers to leave the federal capital or face what he called total war.
As the attacks escalate, prominent Nigerians recently came under the wave of robbery incidences. Those affected include Anambra deputy governor Virgy Etiaba, former Kaduna governors Balarabe Musa and Usman Jibril, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar's lawyer Rickey Tarfa among others.
In Etiaba's case, suspected armed robbers attacked her convoy and a shoot out with the police ensued, leaving one of the robbers dead. The two cars in the convoy were damaged. The incident came few days after a similar attack on her convoy.
Tarfa was reportedly shot by a lone gunman riding on a motorcycle. The lawyer, who was on his way home with his wife and children, was injured in the hand.
Earlier on July 28 and 29, former military governor of Kaduna State, retired Group Captain Usman Jibrin was attacked. Jibrin is now receiving treatment at Military Hospital, Kaduna. Reports said Jibrin was shot and wounded when a group of armed men stormed his house to take revenge after a foiled attempt to rob him and his family. In the initial attack on Saturday, one of Jibril's sons shot at and killed one of the robbers. On Sunday, the robbers returned for what they said was "a vengeance mission" for their killed colleague.
A week before the attack on Jibrin, wife of the Taraba State Governor, Hauwa Danbaba Suntai was on Thursday July 19 attacked by suspected armed bandits along the Makurdi-Wukari road. Hauwa survived the attack but sustained gunshot injuries on her right hand. A driver and a mobile policeman in her convoy were killed while her personal assistant sustained injuries. The robbers were about 20 and were armed with sophisticated weapons.
Incidences of crime are not limited to attacks on Nigerians. Foreigners are taking some of the bullets. On July 25, a British professor, Michael Watts was shot and wounded by gunmen in Port Harcourt. The gunmen were operating on a motorcycle. The professor was followed by the gunmen from the bank.
Ex-military personnel have not been spared. A retired colonel was shot dead in Lagos by armed robbers last month. Lawrence Balogun was shot while in his guest house with his wife and two children.
A new mode of operation by the men of the underworld became clear recently. Rather making a go at the bank strong rooms, armed robbers do not want to wait for the money to reach there. They attack bureaus de change and moving bullion vans.
On July 29, a gang of armed robbers attacked a bullion van and killed two policemen in Lagos. The incident occurred in broad daylight sending jitters down the spines of residents as gunshots rent the air.
The robbers were believed to have trailed the van from Ikeja to Oke-Afa, where they intercepted the vehicle by blocking the road, and engaged the police in a shoot out that lasted for about five minutes according to witnesses' accounts.
A day after this, robbers numbering about 25 attacked the Lagos airport bureau de change, wounded a policeman and confiscated his rifle. Another person in the vicinity was also injured by a stray bullet from the robbers.
New trends of armed robbery now include robbers sending warning letters to their prospective victims. One of such victims in Lagos, Malam Ali Hamza told Weekly Trust that "The situation has degenerated to a point whereby they (robbers) even send letters to tell people that they would be coming and inform their victims to invite the police if they wish."
Another mode of operation is by camouflaging in police or military uniforms. Many robbery victims have attested having been robbed by men in uniform. But many people believe that some unscrupulous policemen engage in armed robbery. Two policemen, Isyaku Mohammed and Mathew Yaro were dismissed from police force for robbing a colleague, Ms Patrick Patrick at her home in Angwan Gbagy Village, Nyanya, Abuja.
The Kano experience
From June to date, Kano has also had its fair share of attacks by gunmen. On June 21, suspected armed robbers besieged the residence of the Kano Pilgrims Welfare Board executive secretary, Alhaji Sani Lawal Kofar-Mata and robbed him and his families of undisclosed amount of money, jewelleries and mobile phones.
In the same month about 30 robbers killed the former Minjibir local government sole administrator, Alhaji Auwalu Jibril.
Last month, a deputy director of the National Agency for Foods and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in charge of Kano office Mrs. Ijeoma Nnani and her staff were attacked by hoodlums suspected to be hired by drug dealers in the state.
The crime situation has gotten so bad in Kano that police authorities were said to have invited a hunter from Bauchi, Malam Ali Kwara, to assist them in tackling the insecurity in the state. But the state police commissioner Muhammad Aminu said the police never invited any private detective to the state to help curb crime. During his visit to Kano, Ali Kwara killed four armed robbers and captured one alive in a combat between his men and a gang of armed robbers at Kura town along Kano-Kaduna highway.
"From the available information to us the armed robbers that are currently operating in Kano are not more than ten in number and they are within the state metropolis. Presently we are doing our best to capture them all and by the grace of God we will achieve that very soon," said Kwara.
A day after the Kwara's operation in Kano, another gang of armed robbers attacked a filling station at Bachirawa quarters shooting a fuel attendant.
Robbery, a daily affair in Lagos
Lagos, the commercial nerve centre of the country has in the last two months been experiencing in upsurge of robbery incidents resulting to the death of five policemen on duty. Records from the police command revealed an increase in robbery cases as Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, the state Commissioner of Police who assumed duty last month announced the recovery of over 50 AK 47 riffles and 800 rounds of live ammunition in 17 robbery cases that took place between 6 and 26 July. So far, the police command, according to the commissioner has vowed to curtail the trend with the introduction of a special squad of 1000 men to rid the city of criminals. Most victims of robbery incidents are banks, eateries and companies. Residential estates are not spared.
Last week, Abubakar paraded about twenty armed robbery suspects. Among these group of men was a 30-year-old Kingsely Onyejiaka who claimed to be the son of a retired soldier. Onyejiaka, an ex-student of Baptist Secondary School, Obanikoro, was arrested for using his Opel omega car to rob innocent Lagosians.
With members of his gang, Onyejiaka operated on Lagos Ibadan Expressway, carrying passengers from the toll gate to Berger, Ibafo and other nearby towns. Most of his victims were women. He said some of their weapons are toy guns, but the police from Isheri and Ojodu police station who laid ambush for the gang after series of reports have been made by the victims said guns and ammunitions were recovered from them. The suspect told Weekly Trust that they pick the unsuspecting victims and halfway into the journey will pull out their arms and order them to hand over their handsets, cash and other valuables.
Within the last six weeks more than 3,351 suspected criminals have been arrested by the police in separate raids. Out of this number, 2,294 have been prosecuted. Governor Babatunde Fashola has pleaded for an increase of the policemen in the state to at least 40,000 to curtail the rising crime rate.
Dateline: May 29 to date
May 30: A former chief security officer to Governor Segun Agagu of Ondo State, Tunde Awanebi, was killed by a group of gunmen. The state government announced a N10 million ransom for anyone who will volunteer information that could lead to the arrest of the criminals who carried out the heinous act. Barely nine days later, on June 9, the son of the slain former had CSO narrowly escaped death after his return to Nigeria, following his father's death. He was attacked by unknown gunmen in Lagos.
June 3: A group of gunmen attacked a member of the House of Representatives, Mr Oluwole Oke, in Abuja. He escaped unscathed but had his car riddled with bullets.
June 11: Some suspected thugs, numbering about 60 unleashed mayhem in Lagos, injuring six people and vandalizing properties.
July 14: Former Kaduna State governor Balarabe Musa was attacked by gunmen in his Turaki Road residence in Kaduna. The operation was foiled by a police patrol van. The gunmen fled, leaving behind machetes and other weapons. The same robbers also entered the home of former Inspector General of Police, Gambo Jimeta who is a neighbour to Balarabe Musa.
July 15: A group of armed robbers numbering about 30 attacked a Bureau de Change in Wuse Zone 4, Abuja in broad daylight. A mobile policeman was killed and a trader wounded. The robbers took away undisclosed sums of money.
July 16: Nine armed robbers invaded the house of Alhaji Danjuma Alti barely a day after he was appointed permanent secretary in the Katsina State Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport. The armed robbers took away money, handsets and other jewelleries.
July 17: Gunmen killed a Sokoto Islamic cleric, Sheikh Umaru Hamza Dan Maishiyya. He was killed close to a mosque after he had led the prayers. The killing was linked to inter-sect rivalry between the Shiites and the Sunni.
July 19: Wife of the Taraba State governor Hauwa Danbaba Suntai was attacked by about 20 gunmen along the Makurdi-Wukari road. The governor's wife was moving in
her convoy. She survived the attack but sustained a gunshot injury on her right hand. A driver and a mobile policeman in her convoy were killed while her personal assistant sustained injury.
July 22: About 10 armed robbers attacked the Kano State Hajj camp carting away jewelleries and cash worth about N200 million. An unidentified motorcyclist who was fleeing the scene of the robbery was killed. The attack on the Hajj camp took place barely three hours after heavily armed gunmen of the same number attacked a famous bureau de change in Katsina, List Limited, where one person was killed and four other people injured.
July 23: A retired colonel, Lawrence Balogun, was shot dead in Lagos by armed robbers.
July 25: A British professor, Michael Watts was shot and wounded by gunmen in Port Harcourt. The gunmen were operating on a motorcycle. The professor was followed by the gunmen from the bank.
July 23: The mother of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly speaker was kidnapped in Yenagoa in her home by gunmen who arrived with two boats. Within the same week, gunmen killed a politician from the neighbouring Delta State and on the same day gunmen stormed the house of a newly appointed energy officials and killed two of his family members in Port Harcourt.
July 29: Former military governor of Kaduna State, retired Group Captain Usman Jibrin was shot and wounded when a group of armed men stormed his house. In an earlier attack on Saturday, one of his son's shot at and killed one of the robbers. On Sunday, the robbers returned for what they said is "a vengeance mission" for their member who was killed.
July 30: Armed robbers attacked a bureau de change in Lagos. The robbers, numbering about 25, wounded a policeman and confiscated his rifle. Another person in the vicinity of the robbery was also injured by a stray bullet from the robbers.
July 30: A band of suspected assasins attacked a commissioner nominee, Dr Emem Wilcox, in Eket, Akwa Ibom State, pumping several bullets into his chest. The victim survived it and is now lying critically ill in hospital.
July 30: Counsel to former Vice-president Atiku Abubakar, Ricky Tarfa, was shot by a lone gunman riding on a motorcycle. Tarfa, who was on his way home with his wife and children was injured in the hand.
August 1: Suspected armed robbers attack the convoy of the Anambra State deputy governor, Dame Virgy Etiaba in Awka. A shoot out with the police left one of the robbers death. The two cars in the convoy were damaged.
August 1: Armed robbers numbering over 11 attacked one of the major bureau de change centres in Kaduna injuring many and carting away an undisclosed amount of money.
August 2: Three policemen were shot dead by armed robbers while trying to prevent the robbers from robbing a bank at Ejigbo area of Lagos.
With additional reports from Bola Ojuola (Lagos) and Yushau Adamu Ibrahim (Kano)
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