Bank robberies: Taming the lions Confess, carry your crosses, leader tells members

The 13 men filed into the Ebute-Metta Court 5 room, Yaba, Lagos State, like lambs being led to the slaughter slab. They looked resigned and tamed. Last year, these same men were like lions; tearing through streets and banks of Lagos and Ogun states.

They drove fear into the hearts of the most valiant of men. They attacked with sophisticated guns and blew up bank vaults with dynamites.
They maimed many, killed a few, including women and children. They left sorrow, tears and blood on their trails. It took months of hunting by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase’s Special Intelligence Response Team (SIRT), to get them.
These 13 men are just part of the whole of the gang. Others are still at large. Those arraigned and later remanded in Ikoyi Prison are; Clement Abanara, a.k.a Millions, Denis Njoku, Ebi Blessing Olotu, Sunday Owoloko, John Sabajoh and Idowu Sobijoh.
Others are Airiyemipate Joseph Wisdom, Opeyemi Balogun, Olamilekan Morounkeji, Ayodeji Fanimeye, Mike Adebayo, Monsuru Adisa and Daniel Ukaeju. Some of the men in separate interviews on Monday at Ebute- Metta Court admitted taking part in all the robberies.
The gang leader, Millions, said he took part in all the robberies. He told his partners in crime to confess their sins and carry their crosses. Speaking with journalists, Millions said: “I got about N4.5 m from the robbery operations.
I actually took part in all of them. In the FESTAC operation, I got N1.2m, Agbara N2.5m and Ikorodu N500, 000. I want every member of the gang to brace up, confess and carry their individual crosses.” Blessing Olotu said he had never robbed in his life.
According to him, he became a bad guy after he started moving with some members of the gang.
Dennis Njoku said: “I made N3.5m. My job was just to drive. I’m always inside the car waiting for members. Whenever they packed the stolen cash into the car, I would drive off. I plead for forgiveness because robbery is not in my blood.” Sunday Owoloko, 33, said he was only employed as a boat guard.
He received only N100, 000 throughout the whole operations. His words: “I was always waiting inside the boat. I was not part of the planning.
But I was arrested alongside others.” Wisdom Akiri, crying, said he was only a fisherman and a part time commercial motorbike rider, but was arrested along with armed robbers.
He picked a passenger that had a bag containing AK47 rifles. When policemen flagged them down at Igando area of the Metro Police, the passenger flung his bag at Akiri and bolted.
Police arrested Akiri. Akiri said: “I’m just an ordinary fisherman. I was going to deposit money at First bank in Igando. I had a bag with me; a particular boy, whom I didn’t know threw it at me and ran away.
I was arrested at Igando and transferred to FSARS. They never allowed me to make any comment. Whenever I tried to speak, the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) would threaten me.
He said I would die and my case would be transferred to Abuja. Whenever I asked where in Abuja, everybody will keep quite.” Opeyemi Balogun said he was given only N10,000 to take guns to the creeks.
The money he made was N30, 000 for three days job. According to Balogun, whose job it was to supply guns to the gang members, he met a man called Juwon, an oil bunkerer. This Juwon told him they needed suppliers.
In the process, he was introduced to another person called TK and Rolex. Incidentally, TK was killed last week at Seme border, during a shootout with policemen, customs officer and Benin Republic Policemen.
He added: “I didn’t sell arms to this gang. Those that did it are here. I’m referring to dealers like Mike Adebayo and Ayodeji Fanimeye.” Asked how he met the dealers, Adebayo and Fanimeye, Balogun said that he met them at Mile 2, Ojo, area of Lagos, where they went to collect guns and licensed them.
Balogun said that each gun was sold between N250, 000 and N300, 000. He further said that he participated only three times and was paid N30, 000. Balogun’s Lawyer, O.O Quadri, had filed an application to the Lagos State High Court, demanding for his release on Fundamental Human Right grounds.
According to Quadri, the respondents, Divisional Police Officer (DPO), in charge of Elere Division, Agege, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police and IGP, have no right to detain, deprive Balogun access to his lawyer, family and drugs.
He sees the arrest of Balogun as and unlawful. Balogun was seen for the first time by his family members at Ebute-Metta Court on March 21, 2016.
Police thus separated the suspects into two groups and conveyed them in separate buses. Those that supplied guns in one bus and those that carried out the bank robberies in another bus.
The robberies, according to police prosecution, led to the death of 39-year-old Mrs. Ebele Ndirika and her 14-month-old baby Nmesoma in FESTAC on October 13, 2015.
Also killed by the gang on March 12, 2015, were Inspector Bethel Agbodu, Sergeant George Odehohwo, Corporal Imoisiu Ikechukwu and a 15-year-old fish seller, Sarah Ibikunle at the Lekki bank robbery. One corporal Kadiri was also killed during the bank raid in Agbara on November 19, 2015.
The robbers were alleged to have stolen millions from seven different banks in FESTAC, 4th avenue, Ipakodo in Ikorodu, admiralty Way in Lekki, all in Lagos and Agbara Estate, in Ogun State respectively. They were further alleged to have stolen foreign currencies. They were arraigned before Chief Magistrates O.I Adelaja.
The Magistrates ordered that the 13 accused persons be remanded in Ikoyi Prison pending directives from the Directorate of Public Prosecution, (DPP). Prosecutors Enoh Etoboh and Godwin Osuji presented a remand application for the accused, pending DPP’s advice on nine different count charges.
According to the prosecutor, the accused persons on October 13, 2015, at Diamond bank on 4th avenue, FESTAC Lagos armed, with AK 47 rifles, dynamites and other offensive weapons, robbed the bank of N27, 000,000. On the same place, date and time, they robbed Access bank PLC of N29, 000,000.00.
On June 18, 2015, the gang robbed First bank PLC the sum of N19, 003,470.00, $3,470 dollars and 40 Euro. The gang also on March 12, 2015, robbed First City Monument Bank situate at Admiralty Way Lekki, the sum of N24, 005,664.00.
At Ipakodo Ikorodu, the gang robbed First bank plc branch in the area, N19, 012,095.00, $2,759 US dollars and 120 pound sterling.
On the same date, time and place, armed with AK 47 rifles, dynamites and other offensive weapons, robbed Zenith bank PLC, the sum of N80, 524,102.00.
On November 19 2015, the accused robbed another Zenith bank branch in Agbara Ogun State, N110,000,000.00.