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Nigeria: Robbers Strike in Abuja
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This Day (Lagos)
2 July 2008
Posted to the web 2 July 2008
Ali M Ali
Abuja
Dare devil armed robbers yesterday in Abuja sent commuters and passers by scampering for dear life after they opened fire on their victims and shot into the air taking charge of the intersection between Muhammadu Buhari and Ahmadu Bello Way in Garki Area 11 just a street away from the headquarters of the Abuja Police Command and a short distance from Defence Headquarters on either side of the junction.
An eye witness account said the robbers numbering about six trailed their victims in two separate cars along the ever busy road before overtaking the Land Cruiser jeep with registration number Abuja AT 124 RSH at about 10.15am.
According to the witness, the robber first deliberately rammed into the victims' vehicle forcing it to a halt and thereby proceeded to drag one of the three occupants out and shot him in the leg.
He described the robbers as young men probably in their late 20s or early 30s dressed in suits and Kaftan and operated boldly unchallenged despite the fact that the Abuja Police Command Headquarters was a shouting distance from the scene of crime.
"These robbers operated like in the movies. They wore suits and Kaftan. They didn't wear any masks. They just came like a bolt from the blue, they overtook the victims vehicle and started shooting in the air.
They scared everybody away including the Police guarding some banks nearby. We sort of took to our heels and watched the whole thing from a safe distance. They dragged the man in the backseat and shot him in the leg before they started carting away bags of Ghana-Must-Go. I say these robbers are young and look like students. They are just around my age", said the eye witness.
The spokesman of the Abuja Police Command Suptretendent Ahmed Musa confirmed the story and said investigations have commenced and expressed optimism that the hoodlums will be apprehended.
According to him, the timely response of the Police ensured that the robbers fled the crime scene leaving some bags intact disclosing that the Police are working on the theory that it was an inside job with the robbers having prior information of the movement of the cash totalling N18.5 million.
In another development the Abuja Police Command has apprehended a notorious armed robbery gang and recovered the sum of N1,197.000.00 and USD 60,400.
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A press statement signed by Agberebi E. Akpoebi, Assistant Commissioner and Force PRO disclosed that a police constable Jilasari Apagu who single handedly disarmed a member of the gang and recovered the money has been promoted to corporal while the FCT minister rewarded him with the sum of N100,000.00 as a way of motivating him.
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