‘Money from robbery operation is blood money, but I needed it’

Ikuesan

Monday Ikuesan 37 is married with two kids. In this interview, he says that he didn’t know he was embarking on a robbery operation. He says that by the time he found out, it was already too late. He stresses that although the money he was given from the Lekki bank robbery was blood money, he didn’t reject it. Excerpt;

What brought you to SARS?

I’m here because I went for the Lekki bank robbery.

What’s your work and did you go to school?

I’m a fisher man. I dropped out in secondary school and took to fishing as my occupation.

Is it from Ondo State you came here to rob?

No! I’m from Ondo State, but I reside in Lagos State

Which side of Lagos do you live?

Itokey, Ikorodu.

How many times have you taken part in armed robbery?

I went only once. It was only the Lekki robbery I participated. They called me to bring a boat.

Who called you to bring a boat?

It was Vikan that called me to bring a boat.

Who is Vikan?

Vikan is an Ijaw man. It was he and Kakadu that called me to bring a boat.

Did Vikan go with the gang for the bank robbery?

No! Vikan didn’t go with us, but Kakadu did. It was Kakadu that called Vikan, and then Vikan called me. I went to meet them at the creek. There were many men there. We entered a boat. They collected my phone. They said they didn’t want me to make calls.

Did you know they were going for robbery?

No! They didn’t tell me anything! The boat belonged to Vikan; maybe that was why they called him and he called me because he’s my friend.

What were you doing before Vikan came to meet you?

I was sleeping in my house when Vikan came to call me.  I use to buy fuel from him in Ikorodu. He sells black market.

When did he call you?

He called me around 4am in the morning. He wanted to know where I was. I told him I was at home. He said I should come to the waterside, that Kakadu told him that his boat developed a fault in the river. He said I should go with three boys that came with Kakadu and meet them on the water, where their boat had stopped.

Who are the people Vikan told you to follow?

I don’t know their names, I only know one person.

How many people did he tell you to follow to the water side?

We were only four, including me. When we got there, we saw many people in the boat.

Like how many people were in the boat?

We were up to 14. I knew only three people among them. Immediately I got there, they collected my phone and switched it off. They were in army uniforms. They moved from their faulty boat, into the one I brought. We drove to Epe River. I noticed that three among the men were making calls.

Who were the people making calls?

It was Kakadu and two others. They were speaking Ijaw. I didn’t understand the language. I’m an Ilaje man. We got to the place around 4pm.

You said that they called you around 4’oclock in the morning, how come you’re saying around 4’oclock again?

It was around 4am they called me and around past 5-6am we left for the big river. We drove to the big river and parked in one corner throughout that day. Around 4pm, they ordered Baba Ibeji to start the engine of the boat. We now headed towards Lekki-Ajah. When we got to Ajah, they ordered me to stay in the boat with Baba Ibeji, Kakadu and one Ijaw man.

Do you know Baba Ibeji?

I know Baba Ibeji. It’s only Baba Ibeji and Kakadu that I know. Baba Ibeji is an Ilaje man. He is my friend. When I got there, there boat wasn’t working. They transferred to the boat Vikan gave me.

Did you fix their faulty boat?

The boat has a mark, so they transferred to our boat. Immediately I got there, I was scared because I saw many people in army uniform. They were carrying guns.

How many guns?

I didn’t count. I don’t know if there were bullets. But they were carrying bags.

Is it inside one boat that all of you entered?

Yes! It was inside one boat we all entered.

 Normally, how many people is the boat supposed to carry?

The boat is a very big boat. It can take more than 20 people and it won’t capsize

What happened next?

On getting there, I saw men in army uniform. I also saw Baba Ibeji in the boat. When I saw him, I relaxed. I felt it was a genuine deal, little did I know that they were robbers.  When we got to Epe, they asked me to surrender my phone to them and hand over the boat to Baba Ibeji.

 

I asked Baba Ibeji what was going on and he told me to just do whatever they asked me to do and not ask questions. When we got to a particular area of the lagoon, in Epe, Baba Ibeji parked the boat.  One of the Ijaw guys made a call. We all highlighted from the boat and headed towards a storey building. Soon, we started hearing gunshots. I still didn’t understand what was really going on then. Soon we all went back to the boat to continue the journey. I later asked Baba Ibeji why he called me to such a journey. I got angry with him and stop communicating with him. That was the first and last trip I went with them before I was arrested.

Where were you guys before it was 4’oclock?

I don’t know the place, but it was Epe road

Did you people lodge in a hotel?

No we didn’t! We didn’t reach Epe. We just faced Epe. When we reached Epe, we started the boat and faced Lekki, Ajah.  

How many people went down?

I didn’t count the number of the men that left the boat. But they should be more than 16.  Four of us were told to stay in the boat.  

Who asked you people to stay in the boat?

Kakadu asked us to stay in the boat. They also used to call Kakadu General. Kakadu is also an Ijaw man.

General? What do you mean General?

General is for army but they call him Kakadu General. He was inside the boat with us.

When they got down at the jetty, what did the General say?

He said that we should wait. Baba Ibeji wanted to switch off the engine of the boat, but Kakadu said he shouldn’t! We saw many people by the waterside and some were cooking and selling, but nobody suspected the men in army uniform.

People saw the men in uniform and didn’t do anything?

They didn’t say anything but those people were just going up smoothly. It wasn’t close to 10 minutes after they left us in the boat that we started hearing gunshots.

When you heard gunshots, what happened next?

Kakadu told Baba Ibeji to turn the boat around.  

Did Kakadu wear army uniform too?

Yes!

He said Baba Ibeji should turn the boat to where?

He said we should turn and head towards a gate. We turned and went to the gate. The men return, carrying sacks with two black plastics, with black covers. They entered the boat. They said we should leave, we left.

What happened as you people were leaving?

Nothing happened again.

They didn’t say anything?

They were communicating in Ijaw language. I didn’t understand anything they were saying.

Where did they drop you?

We followed the lake, and entered Ishawo.

That’s back to your Ikorodu area?

Yes. I wanted to ask Baba Ibeji what was happening, he said that I shouldn’t talk, that these people could kill. I asked him if they were not soldiers, he said they were Ijaw men. They asked me to go to the front, so that Baba Ibeji and I would not be able to discuss. We didn’t talk until we left for our different homes.

You didn’t know they were armed robbers?

It was after the operation that I found out they were armed robbers.

Did they give you money?

Yes, they did.

How much did they give you?

They gave the owner of the boat N400, 000.

Who is the owner of the boat?

It’s Vikan. He was the one that asked me to go and meet those people at the water with the boat.

How much did Vikan give you?

He gave me N180, 000. The General and his people gave me N10, 000.  

How much is everything?

Everything is N190, 000

 When they were giving you the money, what did they tell you the money was meant for?

It was after the operation I realised what happened. I was shocked.

Why didn’t you go to police when you realised they were armed robbers?

I was scared. When they said they were going to Ijede, I avoided them.

You said they were going to Ijede?

I said that after the Lekki operation, I kept to myself. I just stayed away from them. When they said they were going to Ijede and Ikorodu for robbery, I refused to go.

How did you hear they went to Ijede and Ogolonto for robbery?

People told me when I went to Ikorodu to repair my car. People said that armed robbers were operating at Ikorodu.

But you knew it was the same gang?

No, I didn’t know. It was later in the day, after three days, that one of them called me. He asked me why I didn’t follow them to go for the operation. He said that they came back with large sum of money. He said they gave him N2million.

Who called you?

It’s Gbeky.

What did you use your own share of the money to do?

I used it to buy kegs. 50 litre kegs. I see the money as a blood money, but I needed it.

You said you don’t like blood money, why didn’t you alert the police about the gang?

I don’t know who to meet.

What did you learn from what happened to you?

I don’t know what to say!

How do you feel right now?

I feel bad.

What is your advice to those who want to join robbery?

My advice to them is that they shouldn’t follow this robbery system.

Did it come to your mind that the police will catch you?

It’s only that once!

They killed three policemen and a girl during that robbery, who killed them?

I don’t know. I was inside the boat, so I don’t know what they did.

Does your wife know that you are here?

No.

How did the police arrest you?

I was arrested by policemen at Ikorodu. Baba Ibeji called me while I was at home. He said that I should come over to assist him deliver a bag belonging to one of his female business partner. He said that the lady left the bag inside his car and the car had broken down at Ikorodu Road. I said okay. I was heading to meet him when police swooped on me.