The Nation Newspaper

Tag: robbery

  • Court remands Okada rider for ‘robbery’

    A 30-year-old Okada rider, Babangida Haruna, was yesterday remanded in prison custody by an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court for alleged robbery.

    Haruna and others at large were arraigned before Magistrate S.K. Matepo on a two- count charge of conspiracy and robbery by the police.

    Prosecutor Sergeant A. Odugbo told the court that the defendant committed the alleged offence on November 11 about 1:30hrs on LASU Igando Road, Ojo Lagos.

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    Haruna, who lives at 7th Avenue, FESTAC Town Lagos, pleaded not guilty when the charge was read.

    Odugbo alleged that the defendant with others at large armed themselves with a gun and a cutlass and robbed Samsideen Yusuf of N200,000.

    Magistrate Matepo ordered that the defendant be remanded in prison pending the Director of Public Prosecutions’ (DPP’s) advice.

    She adjourned the matter till January 31.

     

  • Police nab suspected cultists for robbery

    Two teenagers, suspected to be cultists, were yesterday arrested by the police for allegedly robbing a man of his phone in Awada, Obosi, Anambra State.

    The suspects, Osai Ikechukwu, 18, and Ikenna Ofonaya, 17, reportedly robbed Ofor Odinaka of Nwazike Street, Awada of his phone.

    Confirming the arrest, police spokesman Haruna Mohammed said the suspects were arrested by a patrol team attached to Awada Division, following a distress call.

    He said: “About 7:10pm, a police patrol team attached to Awada Division responded to a distress call at Gaius Street, Awada where suspected cultists were operating.

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    “The suspects allegedly robbed Ofor Odinaka, male, of Nwazike Street, Awada of his phone.”

    Mohammed said an axe, complimentary card of Supreme Vikings, Awalina and other incriminating items were recovered from the suspects.

    “The suspects have confessed to be members of Junior Vickings (JVC) cult,” he added.

    Mohammed assured that the suspects would be arraigned after investigation.

     

     

  • Absence of principal suspect stalls Offa robbery trial

    Absence of the principal suspect in the Offa robbery trial yesterday stalled the beginning of trial of other suspects at the Ilorin High Court in Kwara State.

    Suspected robbers on April 15 attacked banks at Offa in Offa Local Government area of the state, killing many people.

    The prosecution, represented by Kwara State Attorney-General and Justice Commissioner Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), told the court that he got information from the police high command that the principal suspect, Michael Adikwu, is dead.

    Five of the accused persons in court yesterday included Ayoade Adebosun, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Niyi Ogundiran, Saliu Azeez and Adeola Abraham.

    The suspects, who said they were served evidence of charge sheet on Monday, added that as a result, they could not meet their lawyers for representation.

    The sheet contains exhibits, suspects’ statements and government’s witnesses.

    Giving reasons why the trial would not continue, Ajibade said: “There are two complaints. One, the suspects do not have legal representation; two, we were informed by the police headquarters in Abuja that the first accused, Michael Adikwu, is dead.

    “Taking a look at the case’s dairy, we discovered that there is a statement from the first accused person. I directed the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) to contact the force headquarters and he spoke with one Abba Kiyari and he told us that the first accused person is dead.

    “In this circumstance, we are constrained to amend the charge to remove his name from the charge sheet. We are, therefore, applying for a short adjournment. We will write the police requesting for evidence of Adikwu’s death.”

    Ruling, Justice Halima Salman urged the Legal Aide Council to come to the assistance of the accused persons for legal representation.

    She said there was no evidence of the first suspect’s death before her court.

    Justice Salman said the court is determined to give the case accelerated hearing

  • ‘Demands from my wife pushed me into robbery’

    A 38-year-old suspected robber, Ibrahim Kazeem, has confessed that he took to crime in order to satisfy his wife who was persistently demanding money from him.

    Kazeem was recently arrested by operatives of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS), Lagos State Police Command.

    He is the leader of a four-man robbery gang, which specialized in beating up their victims before pushing them out of moving vehicles

    The suspect, who claimed to have abandoned his job as a commercial bus driver for robbery, said: “I am from Okeho town in Kajola Local Government Area, Oyo State, but I was born in Ajegunle, Lagos State.

    ‘’I am the first child of my parents, who are now late. One of my brothers is a 500 level Industrial Chemistry student in one of the universities in Nigeria. Another one is in secondary school, while two others are learning handiwork here in Lagos; I am the one taking care of them.

    ‘’My problems started when I married my wife. She gave me children(sic), but she did not obey me. Instead, she continued to make more demands that overstretched me. Instead of cutting her coat according to her size, she would tell me to do what real men do, no matter the risk.

    ‘’There was one soup I told her that I used to do charm, and that on no account must she touch it. When I went to work, she went and destroyed the charm, despite my warning to her that if the soap is destroyed I would die. Having realized that she had no value for my life, coupled with too many demands from her, I sent her away from my house.’’

    He said his estranged wife relocated to Ojo, where she got a new apartment and now lives with his children.

    ‘’This overstretched me because I am still taking care of my children. As a commercial driver, I used to go home everyday with two or three thousand naira after delivery of five thousand naira to the owner of the bus, yet it was not enough to take care of my family.

    ‘’I was still managing (as a commercial driver) until one of my friends named Tijani and my conductor brought the idea to rob people and make quick money. They called it advanced pickpocket work. It is different from ‘one chance’ because we don’t use force or weapon to collect phones and money from victims.

    ‘’This is what we do; the conductor and Tijani, would start haggling the fare while the bus is on motion. As the argument becomes heated, members of the gang who posed as passengers would start disposessing passengers of their phones and money.

    “On October 30 October, 2018, along Surulere area, we did not know who alerted the Lagos State Police Commissioner, Mr Edgal Imohimi, and he directed the officer in charge of FSARS, Mr Peter Gana, to pursue us.

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    ‘’We were robbing some victims, when the victims raised the alarm that attracted FSARS operatives, hence, they arrested us.’’

    Meanwhile, another suspect, Andrew Hezekiah, 29, from Ugheli, Delta State, said his gang was different from Kazeem’s gang. He gave the names of his gang members as, Tajudeen(the conductor, now at large); Yusuf and Sikiru Tajudeen.

    Hezekiah said: “ I have been to prison for the same ‘one chance’ operation two years ago. This boy, Tajudeen is a bad friend. He joined the gang on his own. He had no problem before he joined the gang.

    ‘’I have  robbed more than five times, but I haven’t saved up to N50,000, because of the type of life we; we live as if there is no tomorrow.

    In his confession, Tajudeen said:’’ I am from Ibadan, but Oga Hezekiah wanted to assist me with a sum of N10,000 which my sister needed urgently as a  student, but instead of helping me, he lured me into his gang.

    ‘’I have followed them to work (operation) more than five times, but I did not save up to five thousand naira as I am talking to you.’’

    Police source said the suspects would be charged to court at the end of the investigation.

  • ‘How petrol attendant, supervisor planned robbery’

    The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, on Monday in Lagos, told newsmen that a petrol attendant and his supervisor, planned and robbed the filling station where they worked.

    The CP, who briefed the press at the Lagos Police Command, said the police received information on a robbery operation at a filling station at Igbo-Elerin area of Lagos and later moved in on the suspects.

    He said that on Oct. 28 at 9 p.m., the police received information that some armed men were sighted at a filling station dispossessing attendants and customers of their valuables.

    “The divisional policemen and the operatives of the Federal Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) were immediately deployed to the scene but the hoodlums disappeared before their arrival.

    “Later in the night, the hoodlums were trailed to their hideout, where six of the suspects were arrested with two guns while one axe was recovered.

    “The suspects during investigation, revealed that a supervisor and one of the fuel attendants at the filling station were the masterminds of the robbery.

    “They also confessed that they usually robbed the filling stations within the area,” Edgal said.

    In a similar development, a group of armed robbers, specialising in using commercial buses to dispossess unsuspecting passengers of their valuables has been intercepted at the Surulere area of Lagos.

    According to the CP, the police has deployed operatives of FSARS to go after the fleeing Volkswagen bus, which has some passengers as hostages.

    “The vehicle was later intercepted and three of the suspects were arrested.

    “The suspects confessed to be making around N300, 000 whenever they made the operation.

    “We have been receiving reports on this crime for a while and we are sure that this arrest will serve as a deterrent to other criminals in the act,” Edgal said.

  • Court remands 29-yr-old man for ‘robbery’

    Chief Magistrates’ Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, has ordered the remand in prison custody of a 29-year-old man, Lazarus Evans, for alleged robbery.

    He was said to have allegedly robbed at gunpoint, Sunny Dike, of his phones, IPad and cash, valued at N487, 000.

    Evans was charged with a two-count charge of robbery and illegal possession of firearm.

    The charges were not read out to him; hence he was not given the opportunity to take a plea.

    According to a document obtained from the court, the items allegedly stolen by the accused are Microsoft Lumia 535 phone, IPad 4, 64 GB, Tecno Pop phone, Infinix hot 5 phone, Nokia 5300 phone and N250,000.

    The accused allegedly committed the crime at Eliozu in Obio/Akpor Local Government on July 19.

    Evans was not represented by a lawyer.

    Prosecutor Wilson Isaiah said the accused committed an offence contrary to sections 6 (b) and 1, 2 (a) (b) of the Robbery and Firearms (special provisions) ACT Cap RII, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

    Magistrate Sokari Andrew-Jaja ordered that the case file be forwarded to the registrar and Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for advice. He said the suspect should be remanded in prison custody and adjourned the case till October 25.

  • Two remanded for robbery

    An Ado-Ekiti Magistrates’ Court in Ekiti State has remanded Olowosola Abiodun, 30, and Olowosola Sunday, 35, in prison for alleged robbery.

    The defendants, of no fixed address, are facing a one-charge count of robbery.

    Prosecutor Monica Ikebuilo said the defendants committed the offence on September 29 in Ikole-Ekiti.

    She alleged the defendants robbed Mr. Taiwo Isaac of N1.3 million at his filling station, Taiwo Petrol Nig. Ltd, in Ikole-Ekiti.

    Ikebuilo said the offence contravened Section 1 (3) of the Robbery and Firearm Special Provision Act.

    She urged the court to remand the defendants in prison pending legal advice from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).

    The defendants’ pleas were not taken.

    Magistrate Mrs. Omolola Akosile ordered the remand of the defendants, and adjourned the case till November 1.

     

  • Court remands IYC deputy chair for ‘robbery’

    The Federal High Court 7 in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State at the weekend remanded the Deputy Chairman, Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Central Zone, Mr. Amiebi Turner, in prison for alleged robbery.

    He was arraigned on a two-count charge of illegal possession of firearms, conspiracy and robbery, contrary to Bayelsa laws.

    Turner, who was brought before Justice Ineikade Eradiri, pleaded not guilty.

    Counsel to the accused, W.C. Akeni, who led seven other lawyers, told the court that a bail application had been filed on behalf of the accused.

    He said they would move the bail application since it had been served the court and the attorney-general.

    But the prosecuting lawyer, A.F. Arthur, who appeared with the fiat of the attorney-general, said he had no copy of the application and pleaded for time to respond to the application.

    He said the state would call six witnesses and urged the court to remand the accused at the Federal Prison, Okaka, since he had been in police custody.

    But Akeni said they were ready to begin the trial if permitted by the court.

    The court adjourned the case till October 11 for trial and bail application.

     

  • 30 paraded for ‘cultism, robbery’ in Ilorin

    The Kwara State Police Command yesterday paraded 30 persons for suspected robbery and cultism. Nineteen were paraded for robbery.

    Commissioner of Police Bolaji Fafowora said the suspects were arrested in the last two weeks after he resumed. They will be charged to court after investigation, he added.

    Items recovered from them include locally-made pistols, dane guns, locally cut-to-size pistols, battle axes, criminal charms, parcels of substances suspected to be Indian hemp, transformer’s armoured cables, and two Bajaj motorcycles.

    Fafowora named some of their operation areas as Shao road, Alapata, Kangu-Olunlade, Fate, Water View, and Zango.

    A five-member syndicate, which allegedly defrauded six persons of about N4 million, were also paraded.

    According to Fafowora, the suspects specialised in deceiving innocent commuters with fake foreign currencies.

    “Their operational vehicle, a Mazda 323 (FUF 646 XA), painted in taxi colour, was also recovered,” he said.

    Abubakar Ibrahim of Zango area was also paraded for allegedly vandalising a transformer’s armoured cable on Adelodun road in Ilorin, on September 11.

    “The suspect and his cohorts were seen loading cables on their motorcycle and when policemen on patrol questioned them, they abandoned their loot and fled. They were pursued and Ibrahim was arrested.

    “The stolen cable was recovered and effort is on to arrest the fleeing suspects,” Fafowora added.

    The police in Sokoto State have arrested 15 persons for suspected kidnapping, rustling and robbery.

    The spokesman, Cordelia Nwawe, who addressed a news conference yesterday, said the suspects were arrested for alleged criminal conspiracy and kidnapping at Tulluwa, Rabah Local Government Area.

    She said: “The police arrested the suspects for alleged robbery and terrorising innocent citizens of Tabani and environs in Rabah council.

    “Two of the suspects from Tungan Dalo were arrested for alleged rustling.”

    Nwawe added that five others were arrested in Savaging Bum, Wurno council, for allegedly threatening their victims.

    She urged parents to monitor their wards and keep them away from danger.

  • Robbers attack bank in Ekiti

    A gang of robbers on Wednesday evening  attacked a branch of Union bank PLC in Ekiti state.

    Details about the robbery were sketchy at press time but it was learnt that the robbers killed a security guard and another staff of the bank.