Why we use EFCC uniforms to operate- alleged robber

Detectives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Ikeja, Lagos State Police Command have arrested a gang of suspected armed robbers who used to wear reflective vest of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to rob, steal and dupe unsuspecting Nigerians.

The suspects are Princewill Eze, 55, Amira Abdallahi 32, Daniel Okpara 30, Paul Irior 37, Bassey Williams Ekpenyoung 39 and Royal Nwabuike 32.

Eze is alleged to be the ring leader and goes by the alias, Senator Nwobodo. The suspect, a father of five kids, was further alleged to have houses spread across the nation, including a hostel in the Ambrose Allie University, Edo State. He said to have been arrested several times for robbery, but always to seem to have a penchant for escaping conviction whenever he gets charged to court.

The suspect goes about in a tinted car, fitted with a radio base, where police radio messages are intercepted. The car also has siren which blares whenever Eze is moving.

The only female in the gang, Abdallahi, white skinned and born of Lebanese father and Edo State mother, said she has five kids, with the youngest, just six months old. She said she is an interior decorator and said she deceived into joining the gang, but later took to the crime because of the money.

She added: “I’ve only been with the gang for just six months and made about N10 million. Right now, I have no money in my account. Police have collected all!”

According to the State’s Commissioner of Police, Mr. Kayode Aderanti, the gang uses EFCC uniforms, handcuffs and guns to rob bureau de change operators in Abuja and Lagos State of foreign currencies.

Recovered from them are; Bryco 59 pistol with serial no. 930945 with six rounds of 5.56mm live ammunition, single barrel pistol cut to size with four live cartridges, and three Toyota Highlander jeeps. The first is ash colour, marked LSR11DB. The second is maroon colour marked LSR 671DK, another maroon colour marked KTU 380DK. Police also recovered a Toyota Sienna 2012 model, marked JJJ424CQ, Toyota 4 Runner, marked KRD 449DG, one Toyota Camry Saloon car unregistered, N4 million cash and 13 dollars.

Aderanti said that all the suspects have houses spread through Nigeria, adding that they also have different exotic cars.

Aderanti said: “Princewell built a hotel in Edo State, while other members built houses in Delta, Ogun and Lagos States. Effort is on to arrest the only gang member at large.”

Recalling how the waterloo of the gang started, Aderanti said that he acted promptly on credible information received from a source on February 25, 2015. He had immediately ordered the officer in charge of SARS, SP. Abba Kyari to launch a massive manhunt and round up the criminals.

Aderanti added: “Kyari swiftly deployed cutting edge technological tools on ground and eventually tracked and arrested the kingpin, Princewell alias Senator Nwobodo who lives VGC Ajah on February 27, 2015. His confessions led to the arrest of a female Lebanese nationale and gang member Amira and others. We also discovered Irior is a dismissed police corporal, while Ekpenyong had once been charged by SARS for kidnapping in 2012. They all confessed to several robberies within Lagos and Abuja.”

Eze confessed that he had been into the crime for long, adding that he got his Police radio and Walkie-Talkie because he was once involved in politics, while partnering with Charles Soludo, who was vying for governorship post back then in in Anambra State.

Denying that he and his gang doesn’t use guns, Eze said: “We just call to get in touch with the person who sells the dollar.  We box fix a convenient place where we can meet for the transaction, which may be either in the bank or restaurant. The vulnerability of not having a license is what we bank on. While discussing with the operator, the person wearing the EFCC vest would approach, asking questions. When arrest is done and out of that venerability the person who does the arrest get scared, so the job of the lady and mine is to just give a call whenever an arrest is done and out of the fear of not having the license the person gets scare and walks away.”