Robbers attack ‘bullion van’, kill pregnant woman, policeman, others
Bullion van inset: Manko.
| credits: File copies
Bandits
have killed a policeman, Mr. Sunday Agboricaen, and by-standers in
Badagry area of Lagos State while robbing a pick-up van laden with a
huge sum of money owned by a bank.
Eyewitness said the pick-up was being escorted by
another van when hoodlums in a Sports Utility Vehicle opened fire on
them, causing the occupants of the vehicles to run out.
It was learnt that the robbers, who shot
sporadically, also killed a pregnant woman while other motorists and
bystanders were hit by stray bullets
The robbers allegedly killed Agboricaen and injured other policemen but the police also shot one of the robbers before fleeing.
The robbers were said to have conveyed huge sums of money from the pick-up into their own vehicle before speeding off
An eyewitness, who craved anonymity, said the death toll could be as high as five because many people were shot.
He said, “Around 3pm on Tuesday, some thugs, wielding
sophisticated weapons, opened fire on two trucks, one of which was
carrying a huge sum of money. The robbers shot sporadically, hitting
many bystanders at Mowo Bus Stop.
“Policemen, who were in one of the vehicles, came out
and engaged them in a gun duel but the robbers overpowered them,
killing one and injuring another. The robbers conveyed bundles of cash
into their vehicle before fleeing.
“One of the robbers was shot but he managed to
escape. In all, I can say about five people were killed because many
people were shot, including some motorists, who parked to buy corn at
the bus stop.”
The Commissioner of Police for the state command, Mr. Umar Manko, said efforts were being made to arrest the hoodlums.
Manko, who said the armed robbers might have acted on
a tip-off, added that they succeeded because the vehicle used in
transporting the money was not bullet proof.
He said, “We are on the trail of the hoodlums. The
vehicle used by the bank was not a bullion van but a rickety pick-up
truck. I use this opportunity to send a message to banks that if they
want to transport money, they should do it properly. If you want to
transport money, get a bullet-proof van and not an ordinary vehicle.
“From the look of things, it was an insider’s job but I don’t want to pre-empt investigations.”
The Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide,
said only the policeman was reported dead but she added that
investigations were ongoing.
Meanwhile, the command has arrested a 20-year-old
barber, Ladun Agemo; a 27-year-old baker, Mr. Taofeek Bukola; and Wale
Adeniyi for alleged armed robbery.
The police also recovered five AK-47 rifles and
rounds of live ammunition from the suspects, who allegedly belong to an
eight-man gang.
While parading the suspects, Manko said the suspects
were trailed to Ogun State where they were planning to come and carry
out an operation in Lagos.
Manko said their modus operandi was to rob in Lagos and return to Ogun after an operation.
The suspects said they only played minor roles in the
robbery but expressed their willingness to cooperate with the police in
apprehending the fleeing members.
One of them, Bukola, said, “I am not an active member
of the gang. I own the Mazda and I only drive the robbers to where they
rob and I help them escape. Akin is our leader but he is still on the
run. I am actually a baker by vocation but the robbers usually pay me
between N60,000 and N100,000 per operation which is more profitable.”
Agemo, the barber, said his role was to keep the guns for the robbers.
“I have a wife and a son who depend on me for survival and the N1,000 I was making daily from barbing was too little,” he said.
Adeniyi, one of the suspects, who sustained bullet wounds, told PUNCH Metro that if the police could drop charges against him, he would become a police informant.
He said, “I am a smuggler but I have followed the
gang to three robbery operations. If the police could release me, I
would become an informant, helping to make arrests. Already, I have
given them the names of the robbers at large. They are: Koledowo, Wale,
Dada, Mutairu.”
