Emma Nnadozie and Austin Anozie
9 May 2008
Lagos — Residents of Raymond street in Masalachi area of Mushin, Lagos State did not bargain for what happened in the vicinity two weeks ago.
Most of them including artisans and petty traders were busy taking care of their respective business interests when around noon, the staccato sounds of gun enveloped the atmosphere. People ran helter~skelter for safety without knowing where the gunshots were coming from.
Many motorists who were heading directly towards the center of the street screeched their tyres to a halt and abandoned their vehicles in the middle of the road. Some brave ones quietly sneaked into safe corners and watched keenly as the pandemonium that ensued worsened with the continued deafening sounds of gun fire in the area. Few minutes later, the firing was heard coming directly from an office block in the center of the street where traders sell all kinds of accessories including imported materials.
It turned out that a vicious gang of armed robbers numbering five had invaded the office of one of the top businessmen in the block and had cordoned off the area. Two of the dare-devil robbers who were armed with sophisticated weapons stationed themselves strategically in the middle of the street and were intermittently releasing gunshots in order to scare intruders. While they were there, their other colleagues were busy inside ransacking every nook and corners at the top floor of the office block.
One of them was openly shouting at the people inside to hand over the $7 million they were to travel oversea with for business or they will kill everybody at sight.
Fortunately, while the bandits were having a field day, a trader who was hiding in one of the rooms upstair quickly alerted the Police by calling the number of one of the officers serving in the nearest Police station. The officer swiftly alerted Police control room and the distress call was relayed to all Policemen on patrol around the vicinity including those attached to Rapid Response Squad (RRS). Coincidentally, while the call was on the air, a team of anti~robbery Policemen from SCID, Panti led by one Inspector Idowu were also on surveillance in the area and they quickly swung into action by moving to the scene. Luckily, as they came closer, they were able to identify the bandits who were outside and they accosted them.
During the exchange of fire that ensued, two of the armed robbers were shot dead. The remaining three inside the office block had no option than to quietly surrender to the Police. The leader of the gang who identified himself as Emeka Eze from Aba in Abia state popularly called 'Ekwe' told Crime Guard at the dreaded cell in the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba where they are being interrogated that the moment he saw policemen shouting hands up, he knew that the game was up and he quickly surrendered.
Ekwe who was looking disheveled but obviously bemused by the development told Crime Guard, "My gang has been into car snatching for a long time. We also go to the beach to steal handsets from people. I started this business of robbing after I lost all hopes of subsistence following the loss of my job as a casual worker in one construction company. Though I am the leader of the gang, one of us that died during that operation in Mushin called Jerry was the richest among us. We went to the place with his jeep and that was after we received reliable information that a business man in the office block gave one of his boys $7 million to travel outside for business.
We timed when he was to receive the money from his master and we were getting information from an insider. So, as soon as he confirmed that his Oga had given him the cash and that he will proceed to the bank with it, we struck. It was either around 12 noon or after that. We shot our way into the place and were busy looking frantically for the person having the money when police messed up our business.
Initially, when we heard constant gun shot, we thougth our men posted outside were still in control but as soon as we heard 'hands up', we knew that the game was up and all of us surrendered.
"Oga, let me tell you why I am not disturbed now that the game is up. I went into robbery because of poverty. Have you ever experienced a state of pennilessness. When you have nothing and no hope of having any. We are five in my family. All of them are in the village and I had to come to Lagos to make ends meet. My main target when I got into robbery was to use the proceeds in establishing a fish pond either in the village or in Lagos after which I will retire from active robbery. I know how I would personally feel if somebody robs me but I have no other alternative.
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