Bankers reveal how they aided robbers to attack their banks

Anifowoshe

Muktar

Aremu

Two drivers, attached to Sterling bank and Ecobank have been arrested for giving information to armed robbers on how their banks could be infiltrated.

The suspects, Taiwo Hassan Aremu, a driver with Sterling bank and Rasheed Anifowoshe, another driver with Ecobank, are now guest with Special Anti-robbery Squad (SARS), Ikeja, Lagos State.

Members of the robbery gangs, who were arrested after intense investigation started, confessed that most of their robberies would not have been possible, if not the collaboration of insiders in the bank.

In the robbery operation carried out on Sterling Bank, Matori branch, on May 25, 2012 and Ecobank on August 29, 2012, the gangs made away with customers N8million.

The arrest of the bank drivers came after cops arrested one Ahmed Ajofoba and Saheed Olawunmi were arrested by police officers attached to Area  ‘D’ Command Headquarters Mushin.

They were said to have been arrested after a foiled armed robbery incident at a Sterling bank branch in Matori Mushin Lagos this year.

Ajofoba and Olawunmi who were apprehended after a shoot out with cops, made confessional statements.

Ajofoba and Olawunmi were later used as bait to catch other eight members of the gang.

 One locally made pistol with one live cartridge, were recovered from them.

One of the gang members is a holy man of God. An Islamic cleric, an Alfa, in charge of a mosque.

Police alleged that his work was to pray for the gang, to be successful on their operations.

During investigations, it was discovered that the gang’s armourer, one Adetokun Yusuf and the gang leader, Ahmed Adelakun were residing in Aiyetoro, Ogun State.

Cops stormed their hideouts in Aiyetoro and arrested the duo.

  Allegedly recovered from their possessions were two locally made pistols, with four live cartridges.

Without mincing words, Aremu confessed to have links with the robbers, but his partner in crime, Anifowoshe vehemently denied involvement in the operation.

According to him, he was only privy to the robbery but was not a partaker in the crime or operation.

 Aremu said: “I was the one who gave the robbers information on how to enter into the banking premises and banking hall to rob our bank. I told the robbers about our work routines. I showed them the safest routes to follow whenever they were going to attack! I told them to follow the back door because the back door would be opened on that day due to some arrangement the bank made for that day. On the day they attacked, they carted away N8 million. They gave me N900, 000 as my share!

“I was introduced to the gang by one Ramon who is still at large. Ramon is a vehicle panel beater. We met when a colleague in the bank said he needed the service of a panel beater. When he came to our office, we became close. He was the person who told me about the gang.

“He told me that all he needed was classified information on the working routines of the bank. The gang members would carry out the operation. I initially did not response to his request, but later, after he continued to trouble and nagged me on phone; I volunteered the information. The information led to the robbery of May 25, 2012. They came around 7pm after I had left office for home. After the robbery, Ramon called me. He said I should meet with the guys at a hotel in Ifo, in Ogun State. I went there and I collected my share.”

Anifowoshe on his part claimed that he was not given anything after the gang robbed at his EcoBank branch in Okota, on August 29, 2012.

His words: “On the day they came, they didn’t meet the cash officer, so they were not able to get much money from the bank.”

One of bankers’ accomplices, an Alfa, Muktar Eleduwe, said he had never participated in any armed robbery.

He however confessed to know some of the gang members. He described them as clients who usually come to him for prayers, at his residence at Mafoluku, Oshodi area of Lagos State.

 “It was Aremu who introduced me to Anifowoshe. Anifowoshe told me that he needed my help. He said that his mother was going blind. He wanted me to help him with prayers. Later he told me he had another job for me. When I asked him about the job, he said he wanted to rob a bank! He demanded that I help him recruit some people who could work with him, but I declined,” said Alfa.

But Anifowoshe angrily debunked the allegations of the Alfa.

He maintained that contrarily to the Alfa’s allegation, he (Anifowoshe) knows nothing about the robbery operations of the two banks in the state.

He added:  “We were at the Alfa’s place in Mafoluku to seek for the clergy man’s prayers over my mother predicament. My mother was going blind!  It was from there that the Alfa introduced me to the gang. He asked me to come with my photograph. When he demanded for the photograph, I asked him what he wanted to use it for.

“He stood up from where he was sitting, went inside his room and came back with something like charm. He commanded me to go and bring the picture. I went home and later came back with the picture. Immediately my picture was given to him, I started doing whatever he asked me to do. And that was how I became part of the robbers!”