A 32-year-old
nursing mother, who was caught for alleged armed robbery in Lagos, has
blamed her plight on the huge financial burden on her.
According
to the Lebanese woman, who identified herself as Amira Abudallahi,
“my financial responsibility and the economic situation of the country
led me into armed robbery”.
“I have five kids but I am divorced. I just had a baby. The baby is six months
old
now. Since I started working with the gang, I have made over N12
million. I used part of it to buy a car and the other to pay my
children’s school fees,” she said after being paraded by the Lagos
State Police Command.
“I am
not proud of myself neither am I proud of what has happened. I just hope
I can make a positive change on the society. I pray God will give me
the opportunity to do so in future. I believe no one is above mistake
and I believe God will grant me the grace.
“ What I
did was wrong, but nobody is above mistake. It was my financial
responsibility and the economic situation of the country that led me
into the gang. I live in Lekki. What I do for the gang is that I talk
with prospective victims on the phone. Senator gives me the number,
tells me what to say and then I call the victim. I have not built any
house; I still live in a rented two-bedroom apartment in Lekki”.
Amira
was alleged to be a member of a six-man armed robbery gang which
specialised in impersonating operatives of EFCC to rob bureau de change
operators in Abuja and Lagos.
Other
suspects are Princewill Eze aka Senator Nwobodo, 55; Daniel Okpara, 30;
Paul Irior, 37; Bassey Williams Ekpenyong, 39; and Royal Nwabuike, 32.
They were arrested in Lagos, Ogun, and Abuja respectively.
Lagos
State Commissioner of Police, Kayode Aderanti, while parading the
suspects, said that, on February 25, at about 5pm, he received
information about a gang of armed robbers using the EFCC uniform and
handcuffs to rob bureau de change operators in Abuja and Lagos of
dollars,pounds sterling and Euro.
Aderanti
subsequently asked the state Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) commander, Abba
Kyari, to launch a manhunt. The manhunt paid off as detectives
tracked and arrested the suspected gang leader, Senator Nwobodo, in
Ajah on February 27, at about 4pm. His alleged confession led to the
arrest of Amira and other members of the gang.
Vanguard
learnt that detectives also recovered one Bryco59 pistol with serial
no 930945 with six rounds of 5.56mm live ammunition, single barrel
pistol cut to size with four live cartridges, a Toyota Highlander jeep
ash colour with registration number, No LSR 110 DB, a Toyota
Highlander jeep maroon colour with registration number No LSR 671 DK, a
Toyota Sienna 2012 model, with registration number JJ424CQ, a
Toyota Four runner with registration number KRD 449 DG, one Toyota
Carmy saloon car unregistered, four million naira cash and 13,000 US
dollars cash.
The
suspects were said to have a complete set of communication system of
the police inside a vehicle which allowed them to intercept police
communications. They also reportedly had police escort vehicles,
police walkie talkie, EFCC vest used impersonate the anti-graft
agencies officials.
Suspects account
Confessing
to the crime, Eze said, “I didn’t recruit anyone of them into the
gang; they all joined the gang on their own freewill because they are
all adults. I am from Ikanu lGA, Enugu state. I am married with five
children. I was into hospitality business before I ventured into
robbery. The senator name is an appellation. I did not hold a political
position. I live in a rented apartment at VGC. I did not own the house.
Some of my daughters are in school abroad.
“We
have made about N15m. I have used the money to buy different property,
but the police have seized them all. I bought different vehicles”.
Another
member of the gang, a dismissed police officer, Paul Irior, said: “We
were not using guns. I was serving with CMS Mopol 2, Lagos. I built a
house in Benin. I met the senator in 2014. My role was to act as
policeman. I would wear uniform and pose with the fake EFCC officials.
Any time they had a deal, they invited me. Sometimes, I got a million
per operation.
“They
would bring the money to us in convenient places like hotels and banks. I
also run a hotel. It is about five years now that we started the deals.
I was arrested by the police four years ago for a similar issue, but
secured bail by the court.
Lagos State Police Command spokesman, Ken Nwosu, said efforts were on to arrest the only gang member still at large.
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Wow,this
is organised crime at its best!....daughters schooling abroad?OMG,i
imagine their shame when they will read this report.
Five years without being caught must have given them wings to fly.
So all the recovered property will belong to who?The cash?
Who will take them?
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