The Nation Newspaper

Tag: robbers

  • Robbers kill vigilante in Anambra

    A member of Okpoko Vigilance Group, simply identified as “Stubborn”, was killed yesterday by a gang of robbers operating on motorcycles at Mugambo Market, Okpoko, in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State.

    It was learnt that the robbers trailed the man from Elephant Building to his security post.

    When he sighted the motorcyclists, the vigilante reportedly ran away.

    But the assailants were said to have brought out their AK-47 rifles and started shooting at the vigilante as he ran for safety.

    The burglary proof on the window of the house reportedly prevented “Stubborn” from passing through.

    The robbers entered the compound and shot at the door. The force from the heavy guns detached the door from the wall.

    They shot “Stubborn” several times in the head and chest and emptied a magazine of bullets on him before leaving the scene, it was learnt.

    An eyewitness said the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Okpoko, led by Anthony Ogah, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), “Stubborn’s” colleagues in the vigilance group and members of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), were still battling to unravel the motive behind the killing.

    The eyewitness said a suspect was arrested and handed over to the SARS at the police headquarters in Awkuzu.

    He said the suspect has been helping the police with useful information.

    A lawyer and resident, Chief S. O. Abuchi, hailed the police, the vigilantes and MASSOB for tightening security in the area.

  • Oritsejafor: treat kidnappers as armed robbers, terrorists

    The Federal Government came under fire yesterday over the high rate of kidnapping in the country.

    The Christian Association of Nigerian (CAN) accused the President Goodluck Jonathan-led government of incompetence in handling a situation it described as criminal.

    CAN President Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor said: “Nigeria may be in for an even worse situation than it is with the terrorists’ activities.”

    He advised the Federal Government to treat kidnappers as armed robbers and terrorists to stop the menace.

    A statement issued in Abuja by the Special Assistant, Media and Public Affairs to the CAN president, Kenny Ashaka, said: “The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, received with dismay, the news of the kidnapping of the Archbishop of the Niger Delta Province of the Anglican Communion of Nigeria, His Grace, Most Rev. Ignatius Kattey and his wife, Beatrice, who has been released.

    “He appealed to the kidnappers of the Archbishop to release him unconditionally and unharmed as a means of atoning for the sacrilege they have committed.

    “Pastor Oritsejafor observes that the action or crime of forcefully taking away or holding somebody as a prisoner, usually for ransom, has become a showy display, a kind of publicity stunt in ways that explain the insecurity in the country.

    “Given the ferocious and violent manner these kidnappings are carried out, the CAN president is worried that if the crime of kidnapping is not matched with equally harsh or severe punishments, in circumstances where kidnappers shoot and kill people before forcefully abducting the victims, Pastor Oritsejafor calls on the Federal Government to treat kidnappers as armed robbers and terrorists by invoking laws to stop crimes and criminality.”

    In the statement, the CAN president wishes the Prelate of the Methodist Church Nigeria, His Eminence Dr. Sunday Ola Makinde, a fruitful and beneficial retirement.

    Pastor Oritsejafor congratulated the new Prelate, Most Rev. Samuel Uche, saying as he stepped into the shoes of his predecessor, he should strive to be a source of inspiration to Christians “and in particular to us in the CAN family.”

     

  • Robbers invade Delta deputy governor’s home

    Suspected robbers stormed the house of Delta State Deputy Governor Prof Amos Utuama and stole car parts.

    Some commissioners also fell victims. Richard Mofe-Damijo (Tourism), Newworld Safugha (Local Government Affairs) and Patrick Ferife (Lands) lost valuables to the robbers.

    Utuama’s house is near the commissioners’ quarters

    A Toyota Hilux Truck belonging to Mofe-Damijo was vandalised and some parts stolen.

    It was gathered that the robbers scaled the 16feet fence of the Deputy Governor’s residence and headed for the car park.

    They removed spare parts from exotic vehicles in Utuama’s garage.

    Items carted away include nine brain boxes and an undisclosed amount of cash hidden in cartridges in some of the vehicles.

    The deputy governor has ordered the redeployment of his security personnel. It was learnt he has sacked his domestic staff.

    Already, the deputy governor’s chief detail and other senior security officers, who were on duty, are facing orderly trial for their alleged complicity.

    Police spokesman Lucky Uyabeme said investigation had begun.

  • Robbers kill night guard in Lagos

    A night guard, Ahmed Lawal, has been killed by unknown gunmen on Banji Lawal Street in Bariga, a Lagos suburb.

    His killers were suspected to be members of a six-man robbery gang that had been terrorising the area.

    The late Lawal’s colleague, Segun Olawaiye, who witnessed the incident, said: ”We had just closed for the day and we were leaving for our homes when we suddenly saw six boys coming towards our direction.

    “As if they knew we were the security men, one of them brought out a gun and shot at us; bullets hit Ahmed. People in the area who were on their way to work ran for cover. It was just 5.30am. The gunmen shot severally into the air and escaped. We called for help.”

    “When our supervisors came, we took Ahmed to the General Hospital, Gbagada. He was bleeding profusely in the head and other areas where bullets hit him. Unfortunately, the hospital refused to accept him because doctors were on strike. We also took him to the General Hospital, Somolu. Before we could get to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), he had died,” Olawaiye added.

    The slain 30-year old guard, a native of Imodi-Imosan in Ogun State, according to sources at the Bariga Police Station, was a member of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC).

    He was said to have been employed as a night guard by the residents of Banji Lawal, but lived at 13, Onasanya Street, off Buraimoh Alli Street, Bariga.

    His remains, The Nation learnt, have been taken to Imodi-Mosan for burial.

  • AIG to officers: stop conniving with robbers

    AIG to officers: stop conniving with robbers

    The Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge Zone 6 Command, Mr. Jonathan Johnson, yesterday berated the activities of officers, who, he said, connived with armed robbers.

    Johnson, who was at the Police Headquarters in Ikot Akpan-Abia, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on an inspection tour of the command, said tough times await any police officer caught conniving with criminals, adding that such officer would be dismissed.

    The AIG accused officers of selling ammunition to criminals, aiding and abetting, turning cases upside down, conniving with suspects and engaging in conspiracy.

    He said police officers die on a daily basis because of their involvement in crimes.

    Johnson also decried extortion of money from motorists.

    He slammed officers for leaking information to hoodlums, leading to the killings of their colleagues.

    The AIG said it was a policeman, who gave information to a community

    in Nasarawa State, which led to hoodlums laying an ambush for the police sent to restore peace.

    This, he said, resulted in the killing of over 60 policemen.

    He said police officers have turned themselves to security guards of individuals and corporate bodies without any authority assigning them to the beat.

     

  • Robbers kill policemen in Akwa Ibom, Edo

    Gunmen yesterday shot dead a policeman in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.

    The robbers in an attempt to snatch a Toyota Camry opened fire on the policeman, who tried to stop them.

    The robbers went away with the policeman’s rifle.

    According to eyewitnesses, the robbers were six and each of them had an AK47 rifle with them.

    One of the eyewitnesses said: “The robbers are young boys. They opened

    fire on the policeman who tried to stop them from snatching somebody’scar. You can see that the policeman in the pool of his own blood on the ground.

    “They even went away with his rifle. Why kill an innocent man for God’s sake? These robbers must be arrested.”

    The incident occurred on Abak road by the traffic light in front of St Patrick Primary School in Iboko Offot.

    When our correspondent visited, the policeman was seen on the floor in the pool of his blood. His body was later evacuated into a waiting police patrol van.

    There was traffic jam on Abak road as a result of the incident. The police immediately launched a stop-and-search.

    Police spokesman Etim Dickson, confirmed the incident but gave no further details as to the identity of the policeman.

    “Yes, one of our colleagues was shot dead today along Abak road,” he said.

    In Edo State, gunmen yesterday killed two policemen on the Benin-Auchi Expressway. A civilian was also killed in the attack.

    The incident was said to have occurred at about 4:30pm when four suspected robbers in a red Volkswagen Passat trying to overtake a police patrol van opened fire on them, killing two of them instantly. A stray bullet hit a passer-by in the head.

    The bodies of the victims were taken to the Central Hospital mortuary.

    Police sources said policemen have been drafted to the scene to search for the fleeing gunmen.

    Police spokesman Moses Eguavoen could not be reached for comments but sources said the Commissioner of Police, Folusho Adebanjo, has visited the scene.

  • Robbers blow up bank in Delta, gun down five customers

    Robbers blow up bank in Delta, gun down five customers

    FIVE persons were feared dead yesterday after an 11-man robbery gang stormed a first generation bank in Agbor, Ika South Local Government Area, carting away millions of naira. The Nation gathered that the gang, armed with sophisticated weapons blew-up the bank vault. An eye witness account said the bank robbers shot sporadically into the air to scare bystanders. Customers who had besieged the banking hall particularly to make withdrawal for the weekend scampered for safety, it was learnt. The incident which occurred in the morning lasted several minutes without any challenge from the security agents located a few meters from the Divisional Police Headquarters Agbor. Several people were reportedly rushed to General Hospital, Agbor for medical attention. Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Lucky Uyabeme, who confirmed the incident, said: “We have intensified a full-scale man-hunt for the fleeing robbers

  • Three robbers killed in gun duel with police

    •Six others arrested for robbery, kidnapping

    It was indeed a harvest of breakthrough for Ebonyi State Command of the Nigeria Police over the weekend as three robbers from two different gangs fell to the superior firepower of the command’s gallant and vigilant officers after separate gun battles.

    Three other gang members were equally arrested.

    The police also arrested four members of a notorious robbery and kidnapping gang that has been terrorising the state.

    A statement by police spokesman, DSP Sylvester Igbo, said one of the armed robbers killed had engaged the police patrol team in a shootout along Abraham Enyita Street in Abakaliki, the state capital, after robbing a guest house in the area.

    “In the ensuing battle, one Henry Chukwu popularly known as ‘Drama,’an ex-student of Ebonyi State University, sustained bullet injuries and later gave up the ghost while being taken to the hospital,” Igbo said.

    Three members of the gang, namely: Emeka Esegor, Ude Oko and Nwokporo William were arrested while various items including double barrel revolver pistol, machetes, locally made shot gun, axe, cartridges were recovered from them.

    Also two yet-to-be-identified gunmen on a Kymco motorcycle were killed by the police bank patrol and DCP patrol teams at Ishieke area of the city after another gun duel.

    The robbers, according to Igbo, had opened fire on policemen on duty at a branch of one of the new generation banks along Ogoja road and made away with an assault rifle with 20 rounds of ammunition of one of the officers.

    But the police bank patrol team and DCP patrol team gave a hot chase to the robbers.

    “In the exchange of gunfire, one policeman was shot at the shoulder while two of the robbers were caught by the flying bullets and later died on the way to the hospital.”

    Items recovered from them include an AK47 riffle snatched from the policemen at the bank, four rounds of ammunition, four rounds of ammunition, GSM Handsets, an ATM card, the sum of ninety thousand four hundred and eighty naira, a Kymco motorcycle.

    The command also said it arrested one John Uguru, a.k.a. ‘Solo,’ kingpin of a notorious kidnapping ring responsible for the kidnap of one Lydia Uduma at OsoEdda, Afikpo South local government area of the state and later rescued at Amasiri, Afikpo South Council last month.

  • Expectant mum shot by ‘robbers’ in Rivers

    A twenty eight-year–old expectant mother was shot yesterday by suspected robbers in Rivers State.

    Florence Onu was shot in the head on Ada-George Road, Rumueme, in Obio/Akpor Local Government, when she struggled with the robbers to recover her bag.

    Her younger sister, Ebere Amadi, who was at the scene, said the victim had N50,000 inside the bag, which was the offering collected in church.

    She said: “It happened around 8pm when we were returning from church. Suddenly, we saw this red Audi coming close to us as if the driver wanted to ask us for directions. The next thing we saw was one of them grabbing my sister’s bag.

    “As they were struggling, one of the men who sat in the back seat brought out a gun and shot my sister; they took the bag and zoomed off. Before we could rush her to the hospital she died.

    “The money inside the bag does not belong to her. It was the N50,000 offering collected during the evening service.

    “The pastor asked her to take it home, because her husband, who was responsible for keeping the church money, was not in church.”

  • Robbers kill two policemen in Lagos bank raid

    Robbers kill two policemen in Lagos bank raid

    Two policemen were allegedly killed by robbers yesterday in a dawn raid of a new-generation bank in Ifako, a Lagos suburb.

    One of the slain policemen was simply identified as Inspector Nafiu.

    The hoodlums, numbering about 16, were said to have gained access into the bank by scaling the fence which separates it and a Conoil fuel filling station. They came in two vehicles.

    Some of them laid ambush for the policemen outside the bank, while others attempted to break into the bank.

    Sources said the robbers tied all the security men on duty while attempting to break into the banking hall.

    When they could not break into the hall, they tried to dismantle the bank’s ATM machine with an equipment.

    Sources said it was in the process that some policemen from Area ‘G’ Command, Ogba, on routine patrol, stumbled on them.

    On sighting the policemen, the robbers opened fire, killing one of them instantly and injuring another.

    The police fought back, leading to the killing of another policeman. Four of the robbers were reportedly injured.

    Residents said they took cover in their homes to avoid being hit by stray bullets.

    Two Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) and some policemen from the Area ‘G’ Command, moved to the scene, but the robbers had fled, leaving the slain.

    Lagos command spokesperson Ngozi Braide, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP), however, said only one policeman was killed.

    The injured policeman, she said, was in hospital.

    Braide, who said a gas cylinder and some drilling equipment were recovered, advised the public and hospitals in Lagos to alert the police if anybody with bullet wounds comes to them.