ExpdonaLoaded.blogspot.com (+2348097205188): Expdonaloaded News; Lagos bank robbers taunt police

“It is an Ijaw man known as Osy who owns the camp where the robbery was hatched, although the idea was that of Kakadu and Million. They can never be caught by the police, so stop wasting your time,” says 39-year-old Monday Omoboye who participated in the three major bank robberies which shook Lagos in recent times.

Omoboye was part of the 18-man gang that successfully robbed the Lekki branch of FCMB in February; First and Wema Banks on June 1, 2015 as well as Zenith and First Bank on June 23, 2015. Others arrested are 25-year-old Agbojule Bright, 37-year-old Monday Ikuesan and 20-year-old Promise Abiwa. The operatives of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) Ikeja command who handled the manhunt also recovered two Lexus and one Infiniti SUVs with registration numbers KRD29DA, 642DQ and EKY641DB, acquired through the proceeds of the robberies.
Although, Omoboye insists that he is a mere boat rider but Saturday Sun investigation revealed that Omoboye has been on the most wanted list of the IGP Anti Pipeline Vandalisation Squad. He was alleged to have participated in the attack that led to the disappearance of nine policemen in Arepo area of Ogun state and whose corpses were buried in the creeks.
The incident which happened in 2013 saw to the destruction of several camps in the creeks including the famous Fatola camp. Arrests were made but the kingpins, Osy and Igbekorowa remained at large. Omoboye who is popularly known as Baba Ibeji was also hard to track down.
Confirming these findings, Omoboye said Igbekorowa who was the leader of the camp lost control of the camp. “After that incident he was demoted. It is a crime to kill policemen and that would attract attention to us and make the job (Vandalisation) very difficult. It was during the reign of Osy that we started having all kinds of visitors from Delta and most of them were Ijaw. They were high class bunkerers, and they came with great arms. It was in 2014 that the likes of Million and Kakadu became popular,” he said.post by expdonaloaded.blogspot.com..
According to him, pipeline vandalisation was his stock in trade and he was doing very well except for the risk which was much. Omoboye who hails from Gbabijo in Ondo State claimed that he used to be a fisherman till the competition became much. “There was little or no money coming from fishing. At 39 with two wives and five children, I had no choice but to join them (Robbers) when my friend, introduced me to pipeline vandalisation a long time ago.
“Robbery was not our thing till Million and Kakadu relocated from Delta to Ikorodu. They were the ones who suggested that we should invade the banks through the waterways. The owners of the job (Robbery) claim that they have studied the area very well.
“During the Lekki robbery, I was not actually involved from the beginning till Ikuesan called me to bring my boat that Kakadu had need for it. I knew that they were going for a robbery but I was not invited. We (Ikuesan and Omoboye) met them at Ajegunle area and assisted them to drive to Lekki. After the robbery, I was given, N400, 000.”
Satisfied with his acclaimed expertise in boat riding, Omoboye said that he was invited to join them for the other two at Ijede and Ebute all in Ikorodu area of Lagos. “We all heard about the arrest of Duke Odogbo and the others. He was not the leader of that operation, it was Million and Kakadu that led the operation. The outcome was not much, so they assured us that we will visit again. It was during the meeting that it was suggested that Lekki was a mistake as there were so many security men around there. They advised everyone to lie low till we get information that police had stopped looking for us.
“In May, we got information that they have stopped looking for us. They agreed that we will operate within Ikorodu. It was Kakadu and Million that led the team that came to attack Owutu police station and carry their guns. During the meeting, they pointed out that Ikorodu is not secure and most of their police stations don’t have enough guns. This was why we attacked the two banks and the last one in Ebute was a major breakthrough as I got N2miilion,” Omoboye said.
Ikuesan who is still insisting that he was not involved by choice claimed that he got N190, 000 from the Lekki robbery. “I have tried my best to concentrate on buying and selling Fuel from the creeks. Kakadu is a strong man in the camp and if you want to survive in that area, you need to be loyal to him. I had no choice but to go and help him out when he called that he needed a boat.
“I asked Omoboye to bring his boat and we went to meet them at Lekki. To prove to you that I don’t like robbery, I used the money they gave me to start buying and selling fuel. Even when Omoboye invited me to join them during the Ebute and Ijede robbery, I refused. I prefer to be caught for selling fuel than robbery. You can negotiate with security officers but robbery; you can die in the process. I pray they will believe me. Look for Million, Osy and Kakadu; they are the Ijaw boys that are controlling things in the creeks.” He further said that everyone was advised to throw away their phones after the Lekki robbery.
No one in my family can question my life style- Suspect
Unlike Omoboye, the second suspect, Bright, 25, was involved in the last bank robbery at Ebute Ikorodu. At 25, he is lord of himself. “I am married with two kids and no one in the family has the right to question my movement. The proceeds from the robbery were used to take care of them. The much they did for me was to give birth to me. I struggled as boy to become a man while we were in Benin. After my secondary school, I got admission to study English at College of Education, Ekiadolor, Edo state. After my Diploma, I had plans to move over to the University of Lagos and acquire my BA in English. I had such plan, that was why I relocated. Every Ijaw boy knows how to swim and is definitely involved in oil bunkering. This was the only way; we could raise money to sustain ourselves. It was while I was working at Abule creeks that I met Kakadu and Million. They are big boys in the area, so when they invited me to join them, I knew that it would be a successful one.”
A week before the attack, Bright said that a general meeting was summoned during which some persons were asked to go and study the area. “During the meeting, some of us were given the job to go to the bank and pay in money. I don’t know how they knew that there will be money because before we left they assured that we will get plenty money and it happened as they said. The three jeeps that were used were snatched by Kakadu and Million that was why they were destroyed as soon as we finished.”
On the possibility of arresting their kingpins (Kakadu and Million), Bright said: “They are smart and it will be difficult. They advised us to throw away our phones which we did. These people are experienced and they are based in Delta state. I only participated in the Ebute robbery and thank God that no one was killed. Those policemen ran away as soon as they saw us,” Bright said.
Why we always flee- Police
Part of scene that played out during the Ikorodu robbery incident was sudden disappearance of policemen whose station was close to both scenes of the robberies. A police officer who was on duty on the day of the robbery said that he was the first to jump the fence when he heard several gunshots. “We do not have enough arms to match these boys and police authority is very aware of that. It would have been suicidal if we dared to fight back. It was the wisest decision that I took that day. In fact, most of us abandoned our rifles and fled.
“I have not made enough money to pay for my casket. Nigerian police that I know will not sponsor your burial, and it will take several years before your family will be paid any money. It is not worth it. Go and do your investigation and find out if the family of those policemen that were killed during the Lekki robbery had been compensated. You will be shocked to hear that the company that they were working for also abandoned them or gave the money to the MOPOL commander”, the officer said.
Also at the most feared SARS office, the story is the same. Those who spoke with Saturday Sun claimed that they were happy to have gotten to the scene late. “The traffic was much and there was nothing anyone can do about it. Most importantly, the morale of the men are down. No one is ready to sacrifice himself for nothing. We are praying that they will send another leader who will stand in as a father to us. Our former leader was indeed a father. If you get shot on duty, he will spend his last kobo ensuring that you are well taken care of. Our welfare was his priority, that was why we succeeded.”
They called on the judicial system to keep those suspected robbers that were recently charged to court, within the four walls of the prison. “Once you charge them to court, they will find their way out. Go and do your research, you will find out that 80 percent of our suspects had been arrested at least twice. They will return again and I pray that all these jobless human rights people will be their first victim”, the obviously angry our source said.
Manhunt
According to the police, on June 1, 2015, a gang of armed robbers invaded the First and Wema Banks located at Ijede road Ikorodu and carted away sums of money yet unknown and escaped through the waterways. Also on June 24, 2015 at about 9am, the same gang stormed Zenith bank located at Ipakodo area of Ikorodu and carted away some money. After security operatives visited the scene, they were declared wanted, while N5million was offered to anyone with useful information. The state government subsequently raised the alarm over the rise in robberies, even as they demanded that the Nigerian Navy should send men to guard the waterways.
Irked by the embarrassment, Lagos state command sought the assistance of the former OC in-charge of Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, SP Abba Kyari who has an outstanding record of cracking difficult cases.
Saturday Sun learnt that the gallant officer was transferred to police headquarters to be in charge of an investigative department with a national outlook. He was said to have coordinated the tracking and arrest of the three major suspects, Omoboye, Ikeusan and Bright.
The manhunt progressed when 20 year old Promise Abiwa was accosted by soldiers on his way to Okitikpupa in Ondo state. He was found with bundles of new N1000 note. When he could not give a reasonable explanation, he was arrested and handed over to operatives of SARS for further interrogation. Initially, he told the police that he learnt of the robbery and went visiting. He claimed that the money was too much that they gave him several bundles to take care of himself. He provided information that was used to track and arrest the other three suspects in their hideout at Ikorodu.
New CP talks tough
The new Commissioner of Police in Lagos, Fatai Owesini has assured that the command will stop at nothing to bring to book the remaining suspects whether they reside in Lagos, other states or even out of the country. He also assured Lagosians that he would do more of preventive policing.