Friday, March 15, 2013

Police arrest robbery kingpin who masterminded Shagamu’s jail break



The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Umar Manko, yesterday called for further collaboration between the Force and members of the public to checkmate criminal activities, especially bank robberies. This was even as he used the opportunity to assure residents in Lagos State, that there is, “nothing like Boko Haram in Lagos!”
Manko stated this, while parading six suspected armed robbers, who belonged to two different robbery groups.
The suspects were identified as Olubode Madashiru, 27, Gbenga Joseph 48, Tunji Bamidele, 28, for bank robbery, and Stanley Samuel, 28, Emmanuel Dada 29 and Ejike Nkennachor, 30
According to him, the gangs had been terrorising members of the public in Lagos, Ondo and Ogun States respectively.
Manko said that the suspects were arrested through the collaboration of some good Nigerians, who gave information about the suspects’ plans and movements.
He said that one of the suspects, simply identified as Ejike Nkennachor was a ring leader in the Shagamu jail break on January, 3, 3013, stressing that same suspects had been charged to court in Ogun and Lagos for various offences.
The Commissioner of police said that three vehicles, two locally made single barrel short guns and 20 live cartridges were recovered from the suspects.
He further noted that three of the suspects belonged to a robbery gang, which had once attempted to rob an old generation bank, located at the Isolo area of Lagos. The police chief said that but for the timely information provided by some members of the public, the robbers would have escaped.
He said: “We got information that a 13-man-robbery gang, whose members live in Ondo, Ogun and Lagos States, planned an attack on United Bank for Africa (UBA), Isolo. A crack detectives led by the Officer in Charge of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Abba Kyari, laid ambush at Abule-Egba Junction, along the Lagos/Abeokuta Expressway, where the armed robbers were intercepted.
“After a gun battle, seven of the armed robbers were killed, three arrested with bullet wounds and three escaped. Three AK-47, nine AK-47 magazines fully loaded, three locally made double barrel pistols, 65 live cartridges and two cars, were recovered from the suspects,’’ Manko said.
The Commissioner commended the informants for a job well done, stressing that if such regular information keeps coming, activities of hoodlums in Lagos would soon be a thing of the past.
“We learnt about the suspects plan in time and we move swiftly, hence the result we have today. Armed robbers and other criminals should know that Lagos is a no go area to carry out crime. Those on the run will be arrested soon, he said.
Manko noted that three other suspects, whose gang specialises in snatching cars in Lagos and selling them off in other states, were arrested in Ibadan, Ilorin and Lagos.

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