Robbery suspect: We go to banks, target customers with huge withdrawals

A suspected bank robber, Mr. Hyacinth Loveday Bright, 32, has revealed to detectives attached to the Akwa Ibom State Police Command that he and his gang members used to pose as banking customers in order to monitor genuine customers making huge withdrawals.

Bright claimed that he and his gang members had attacked and robbed only seven different bank customers in different cities across the state, before they were eventually arrested.

The police, however, felt that the victims could be more than seven.

Bright, who lives in Eket, Akwa Ibom State specialised in going to banks, pretending to be carrying out banking transactions, while looking out for those making huge withdrawals.

He and his members would later follow the prey to a certain point before collecting the money from them at gun point.

Bright said: “My boys will wait outside the banking hall, while I go into the bank. Once I’m inside, I pick a teller, pretend to be filling it, while monitoring customers making huge withdrawals. Once they are through, my boys and I would trail them from outside. My boys will rob them at gun point. We don’t just rob anybody! We make sure the person withdrew a good sum of money before we go after him or her.”

Asked what he has been doing with the stole money over the years, Bright said: “I used most of the money I made from robbery to open a big boutique at Eket, in Akwa Ibom State. But even after acquiring the boutique, I couldn’t quit robbery.”

The Akwa Ibom State Commissioner of Police, Mr, Zubairu Muazu said: “It may interest you to know that we have finally arrested the notorious gang responsible for series of bank robberies in the state. Hyacinth Loveday Bright and his gang members, Menford Austin John and John Usim Chibueze were arrested after sustained surveillance.

“Our team at Eket received a distress call that a robbery was in progress at Food Affairs opposite First Bank, Eket. A victim, Nkereuwem Bassey withdrew N1million cash from First Bank, Eket and was trailed and blocked by the suspects. They robbed him of the money.”

Muazu, who noted that the gang had operated several times in Uyo and Eket, said upon their arrest, one ash coloured Toyota Avalon car with registration number NCH 28 ST, a cash of N521, 300, a Techno phone and several ATM cards were recovered from them.

He further noted that while the ring leader, Mr. Bright lives in Eket, Akwa Ibom State, his gang members used to come from Rivers State anytime there was going to be an operation.

The police boss further said the three-man-gang had robbed several customers of different banks in various cities.