Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 28-year-old woman, Anita
Ekechukwu, her brother, Sunday Ekechukwu; and three others -, Benedict
Nwadike, Emmanuel Ochi, also known as General and George Emmanuel, aka
Force Man - for armed robbery.
The suspects were arrested while robbing bureau de change operators of
millions of naira. Narrating how the suspects operated, a source at the
Special Anti-Robbery Squad said:
Anita Ekechukwu would pose as a customer and convince the bureau de change operator to enter a vehicle with her only to rob him.
“Anita would go to a bank and say she wanted to buy foreign currency
knowing well that banks do not sell foreign currency to just anyone. The
bankers would introduce her to a bureau de change operator and they
would establish contact. Later, she will call them for a huge
transaction in a vehicle.
“When the victim enters the vehicle, her colleagues would come in
another vehicle, abduct the victim, rob him of his money at gunpoint and
then throw him out of the vehicle.”
Anita, her brother and others were arrested while trying to rob one Sanusi of $80,000 (N12.8m).
The police source said the robbers operated around a bank in Lekki and
had boarded their vehicle when policemen intercepted them.
He said, “They organised another operation. Already police were aware
that the gang was about to operate around the area. The robbers had
abducted their victim, when the police swooped on them and arrested
them. The robbers then revealed the location of the others. The police
recovered the money collected from the victim.”
While answering questions, Anita Ekechukwu said she took to robbery
because of unemployment, adding that it was more honourable than
prostitution. “I am a member of the gang but we do not operate with gun.
I am from Owerri, in Imo State. I am unemployed but I live at Lekki
with my elder brother, Sunday, who is a building contractor.
“I joined the gang because I could not secure any reasonable
employment. I joined the gang this year and I was given the telephone
number of a bureau de change operator. I told him I wanted to buy
$30,000. The next day, he sent his brothers who brought the dollars. I
then told the man that we were going to a bank where I would pay him the
naira equivalent. On the way to the bank, we collected the money from
the man and pushed him out of the vehicle.”
Another suspect, Ochi, who is about 24 years old, claimed he was a
student of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State. He said his dream
was to join the Nigeria Police but it was unclear if he would still be
enlisted following his arrest.
He said, “My role in the gang is to push the victim out of our vehicle
but I am always careful so that he will not fall and hit his head
against a stone or hard object.
“I am a student of Olabisi Olabanjo University, Ogun State and I am in
300 level studying Crime Investigation. I intended to enlist in Nigeria
Police Force when I graduate. I want to become a police detective.
On his hope of realising his life ambition to become police detective
after graduation, now that he had been arrested he said, “It is God that
will decide. If I regain my freedom I will stand a chance. Even if I am
jailed, I may get state pardon. Everything depends on God.
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