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Two months after they held the Lekki axis of Lagos hostage and robbed a First City Monument Bank (FCMB) branch, the suspects who have been arrested, Wednesday revealed how they carted away N15 million from the bank.
Fresh facts emerged that the suspects were also pipeline vandals, who constantly terrorised the Arepo area of Ogun State.
The gang had on Thursday, March 12, 2015, stormed the bank on Admiralty
Way, Lekki, carted away N15 million and killed five persons, including
three policemen during the attack.
Wielding sophisticated weapons and dressed in military camouflage, the
gang had accessed the bank in two speed boats through the Lekki
waterways.
As of yesterday, four of the suspects, namely, Duke Odogbo, 38;
Lawrence Kingsley, 31; Ebi Tosan, 20; and Ekelemo Kuete, 30, were being
held at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Lagos State Police
Command.
Confessing to the part he played, Odogbo said he was invited to join
the operation by one of his friends whom he identified as Vika.
He said: "I was in Warri, Delta State when the operation was planned by
our leaders in Arepo. I got about N500,000 as my share in the N15
million we stole in the operation.
"We left for the operation from an Island close to Abule Oba area of
Ikorodu. Initially, I thought it was for us to go out to vandalise NNPC
pipeline.
"But I got to know that it was robbery when I arrived Arepo. We left there in two speed boats to Lekki on Wednesday, but one of the boats developed problem along the way.
"But I got to know that it was robbery when I arrived Arepo. We left there in two speed boats to Lekki on Wednesday, but one of the boats developed problem along the way.
"We slept in a creek at Lekki because it was late. The next day we
proceeded to the bank. Five of us entered the bank, five stayed outside
the bank, while the remaining five remained in the boat.
"I blew open the door to the banking hall. We asked the staff of the
bank to call their manager. We came out with the sum of N15 million.
When we came out, we left the same way we came.
"It was while we were in the boat that I discovered two strange AK 47
riffles. I demanded to know where it came from. I was told that they got
the guns from some policemen they killed.
"They told me that they saw a police patrol van parked by the side of
the road and immediately opened fire on it, killing the three policemen
on the spot."
For another suspect, Kuete, who operated one of the boats on the day of the operation, he said he got only N50,000 as his own share from the stolen money.
He said: "I must confess, I knew that we were going to rob a bank. I am a bunkerer at Arepo and I make at least N80,000 from each bunkering operation.
For another suspect, Kuete, who operated one of the boats on the day of the operation, he said he got only N50,000 as his own share from the stolen money.
He said: "I must confess, I knew that we were going to rob a bank. I am a bunkerer at Arepo and I make at least N80,000 from each bunkering operation.
"I remained in the boat along with four others while the other 10
members of the gang left for the bank. When they came back, they said we
should leave immediately. We headed back to Arepo where our leaders
shared the money according to individual involvement."
Parading the suspects, the state Commissioner of Police, Kayode
Aderanti, said one Honda Accord 2008 model, one white blackberry Z10
phone, one white Apple iPhone 5, one military face cap and 130 expended
ammunition were recovered from the four suspects so far arrested.
He said: "After the movie like action, the bandits left in their trail
five corpses, three of which were policemen who though on another
assignment patriotically and gallantly engaged the bandits in a duel in
order to forestall their operations.
"The three gallant policemen were Inspector Bethel Agbobu, Sgt. Odehowo
George and Cpl. Imoisiu Ikechukwu. Two civilians were also mowed down
by the dare devil armed robbers.
"They were Sowemimo Kabiru, Miss Sarah Ibikunle, a 15-year-old girl who sells fish around the vicinity of the bank."
Aderanti said following the attack, he immediately directed the officer
in charge of SARS, Abba Kyari, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in
charge of operations and the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of
State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID) to fish out the fleeing
gunmen.
He said: "Following the directive, Kyari and his men through advance
technology were able to track the suspects. Some of the suspects were
traced to Delta State from where they were arrested, while two others
were arrested in Ogun State."
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