Clearing agent: I organised robbery of Customs officer, believing he had N8m

* Gang got just N500, 000

*Suspect: I didn’t tell gang to kill him

The suspects

Operatives of the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris’s Special Intelligence Response Team (IRT), have arrested six men for allegedly robbing and murdering a Customs officer in Lagos State.

The suspects have been identified as Lucky Williams, Humphrey Aimodu, Fayero Egbato, Bolaji Taiwo, Samuel Akinjoye and Abraham Lots.

Adamu

The gang was smashed after the IRT operatives traced the deceased’s phone to Williams in Tolu area of Ajegunle, Lagos.

The robbery and murder of the deceased, an Assistant Superintendent of Customs (ASC), Mr. Aliyu Adamu, was organised by Aimodu, a clearing and forwarding agent, working at Tin-Can. Investigation revealed that Aimodu and other clearing agents, worked closely with Adamu, who was in charge of signing and stamping documents for agents, in order for them to clear their goods.

Operatives of IRT, led by an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abba Kyari, trailed and arrested Aimodu in Ogun State, after picking Williams.

Aimodu confessed to have masterminded the robbery attack on Adamu. He, however, denied ordering the gang to him.

He further confessed to have orchestrated the robbery because a colleague told him that Adamu used to make N8 million everyday just by signing and stamping documents of clearing agents.

It was further alleged that at the close of work every day, Adamu would change the money into dollar for easy carriage.  When Adamu was finally robbed and killed, only N500, 000 was found on him.

Some of the suspects said that they wouldn’t have killed Adamu, but he struggled with them, refusing to let go of the backpack containing the N500, 000.

Adamu’s corpse was discovered at Tin-Can Island Port, Second Gate, on December 22, 2016. Many of his broken hearted colleagues thought he was assassinated.

A police source said: “Adamu was murdered by a gang of armed robbers. They were after his backpack. They thought it was filled with a huge amount of money. A mobile phone, belonging to Adamu, was trailed to Tolu area of Ajegunle and recovered from Lucky Williams. His arrest, led to the arrest of a clearing and forwarding agent, Humphrey Aimodu, working at Tin-Can Island Port.  Aimodu masterminded the robbery.”

Adamu was attached to the Ashaye exit gate of the port. He was killed at about 10pm on his way home after work.

The Public Relations Officer at the Tin-Can Island Command of the NCS, Mr. Uche Ejieseme, said: “Adamu was blocked while on a motorbike around National Filling station, close to Tin-Can. He had a scuffle with his assailants when they attempted to snatch his backpack.”

Narrating the genesis of his troubles, Aimodu, 33, said: “I only contracted the robbers to rob the Customs officer. I didn’t tell them to kill him. I specifically told them not to use guns in the operation. I organised the robbery because I needed money to celebrate the last Christmas.”

He further said:  “It started on December 20, 2016, which was five days to Christmas. I told my colleague, Edet Bassey, a clearing agent, that I was broke. We weren’t working the way we used to at port. The price of dollar was affecting importation.  He said we could rob Adamu, working at Second Gate, where he checks and signs clearing documents. He told me that Adamu usually takes N8million home every day. He said he had been monitoring him for long. He said he had observed that Adamu used to change the naira to dollar, so that it would be easy for him to carry.  Bassey said that he couldn’t do the job because Adamu knew him. He also knew me. We settled that I should arrange some boys to do the job.  I called one of my friends, Samson, living at Tolu area of Agegunle. I knew Samson was familiar with some bad boys in Tolu.  He linked me to Abraham Lots, whom he said could do the job.”  

The following day, Lots sent two of his boys to Aimodu. He took them to where Adamu worked and fingered him as the target. The gang said the job couldn’t be done that day.

Aimodu said: “It was there I told them not to use guns for the operation. On December 22, around 9pm, the gang called me. One of them asked me to meet them at Adidas Field, in Tolu. When Edet and I got there, we saw eight men. I learnt one of them opened fire. I asked why they fired; they said the man struggled with them when they wanted to collect the bag. They shot him on the leg.   When they opened the bag, I saw N500, 000.  I took N50, 000.  The next day, I heard that the Customs officer was dead.  I sensed trouble and stopped going to work. On December 28, 2016, Samson called me. He said some of the boys had been arrested. I moved my wife and children to Mowe, in Ogun State. I was eventually arrested in January.”

Akinjoye, 36, a local fisherman, confessed to be into oil bunkering.

He said: “Abraham Lots, whom we call Ibro, called and told me about the job. I called Lucky. We all met Samson, who gave us three days to do the job. When they took us to the man, I discovered we couldn’t rob the man without a gun. The next day, Lucky brought one Bolaji, who had a gun. We were instructed not to kill the man. We should just collect the money. We agreed I should get a motorcycle, while Bolaji should get a speed boat for our escape.

“I took the motorbike to Second Gate, where Humphrey asked us to wait.  While we waited, Humphrey informed us that the man was coming. I alerted Lucky, Bolaji, Ibro and Ochuko. They attacked the man.  But before I got to where they were, I heard a gunshot. I didn’t know the man was killed.”

Williams, 29, who snatched the bag containing the money from the customs officer after he was shot, said: “When we held the man, he started struggling with us. He fought everybody. Bolaji was the one holding the gun. I didn’t know what came over him, he shot the man. The man immediately released the bag. I ran away with the bag. We all escaped through the waters to Tolu area, where we shared the money. I also got N50, 000 as my share.”