‘I was told the robbery would be as easy as eating pie’

An ex-convict, Olabamidele Sanusi has been arrested by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Ikeja, Lagos State, on his way to a robbery operation with other members of his gang.

Sanusi, who still has a dazed look on his face, said that he was shocked out of his wit after it dawned on him that he had reached the end of the road in his criminal activities.

According to him, he only accepted to join in the robbery operation after a gang member told him that the robbery was going to be the easiest ever.

Almost on the verge of breaking down in tears, Sanusi said: “Yes, I was among a gang of robbers going for operation when I was arrested. God! I didn’t know it would turn out like this!

“I was told that the robbery would be as easy as eating a pie. The man who brought the job would be part of the operation. I thought it would be easy, I didn’t know police would catch us.

Boko Haram working together with soldiers in parts of Nigeria? —VOA news

A Nigerian soldier said he witnessed incidents that suggest some Nigerian military commanders are working with Boko Haram, an Islamist militant group blamed for thousands of deaths since 2009.

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In an exclusive interview with Voice of America (VOA)’s Hausa service, he described how his military unit, based in the northeastern Borno State region, was ambushed by Boko Haram fighters.
The soldier, who did not want to be identified, said the commander of a nearby military unit, based in the town of Bama, recently sought assistance from his unit in carrying out a raid.
The soldier said when the two military units joined up, they were given different uniforms. The Bama unit commander gave his own troops green uniforms. The soldier said his unit received tan “desert camouflage” uniforms.
When the troops reached the battle area, the soldier said the commander of the better-equipped Bama unit suddenly withdrew his forces, leaving the remaining troops to fend for themselves against Boko Haram fighters.
Speaking in Hausa, he said, “We had only light arms and our men were being picked off one after the other.”

Neighbour averts kidnap of 75-year-old hunchback woman in Ibadan

A kidnap case was averted in Oke-Ado area of Ibadan when an attempt by a man to kidnap a 75-year-old hunchback woman in the early hours of Sunday was foiled.

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The alleged kidnapper who tried to bolt away was captured, beaten and threatened to be killed by residents in the area when the Nigerian Tribune got to the scene of the incident.
Nigerian Tribune gathered that the alleged kidnapper had accosted the old woman who was preparing for church service in the presence of her grandson, asking her to follow him. The woman’s resistance aroused the anger of the kidnapper, just as he tortured and sprayed perfume on her.
Nigerian Tribune also learnt that a neighbour, who noticed the incident from the other end, rushed to the scene to stop the alleged kidnapper from torturing the old woman as well as to prevent him from escaping.

Robbers kill contractor, shoot 12-year-old daughter in Lagos

Surajudeen’s residence.

A gang of robbers on Sunday shot dead a 59-year-old contractor, Alhaji Yusuf Surajudeen, in his home located on Adebola Street in the Ogudu, Ojota area of Lagos State. Surajudeen’s 12-year-old daughter, Aisha, was also shot in the face during the operation which lasted for less than an hour.

When our correspondent visited the home of the deceased on Sunday morning, residents and relatives were seen consoling the wife and other children of the deceased.

The children of the deceased were too distraught to speak when our correspondent approached them for comments.

However, a member of the family, who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, said the incident occurred around 3am.

She said, “Around 2.45am, about six guys came into the compound and tore the net. They then began breaking the steel bars across the window of the sitting room. When Alhaji (Yusuf) heard the noise, he grabbed the hand of the person and a struggle ensued.

My release was ordered by Tompolo - Edwin Clark’s son

EBIKEME, a son of octogenarian and Ijaw national leader, Chief Edwin Clark,  regained his freedom Sunday morning. He said that his release might have been made possible on the orders of Chief Government  Ekpemupolo otherwise known as Tompolo.

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The release was followed by jubilation at Kiagbodo, the country home of the Clarks when the news filtered in Sunday morning.
Mr Clark was said to have been left off the kidnappers’ hook at about 1:00 a.m on Sunday with no ransom paid, according to police spokesperson, DSP Celestina Kalu.
Ebikeme was kidnapped last week Wednesday evening at his ancestral home, Kiagbodo in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State while paying wages to workers at his father’s project, Edwin Clark Univeristy of Technology.
The kidnapper, had, on Friday, established contact with the Clarks demanding about N60 million as ransom, which the Ijaw national leader, Edwin Clark rejected with a warning to the abductors to release his son unhurt or be ready for “war.”
The release of Clark junior was said to have been facilitated by ex-militant, Chief Government  Ekpemupolo (alias Tompolo).

Zamfara massacre: Death toll rises to 215 •Residents flee town

DEATH toll of people attacked on Saturday in Yargaladima village of Dansadau Emirate, Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State, by Fulani cattle herdsmen has risen to 215.

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Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, a survivor of the attack, Mallam Muhammadu Yargaladima, said the hoodlums stormed the town around 2.00 p.m that fateful day with over 100 motorcycles.
“Using AK-47 and APC rifles, they (hoodlums) began to shoot at children, traders, community leaders, clerics and others, killing 215 people at the end of the four-hour operation.
“From yesterday (Saturday) to today (Sunday), we counted at least 215 corpses,” Yargaladima stressed.
He added that people had deserted the town for safety, adding that “you see, our women have fled for safety. Those of us that remain want to ensure that we bury our own. For those who are not from this village, we are waiting for their relatives to collect their corpses.”
Meanwhile, the Emir of Dansadau, Alhaji Husseini Adamu, has said his emirate had counted 105 corpses.

World Bank didn’t classify Nigeria as extremely poor country - Presidency

THE Presidency, on Sunday, rejected the interpretation by a section of the media and some public commentators of a recent statement by the World bank president, Jim Yong Kim, as indicating that Nigeria is among the world’s extremely poor countries.

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Senior  Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe, in a statement issued in Abuja, said the interpretation was not correct and was “a deliberate misrepresentation of facts meant to disparage the present administration.”
According to the presidential aide, what the World Bank chief said was that “two-third of the world’s extremely poor are concentrated in just five countries: India, China, Nigeria, Bangladesh and the Democratic Republic of Congo...if you add another five countries like Indonesia, Pakistan, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Kenya, the total grows to 80 per cent of the extreme poor.”