Police
have arrested three suspected members of a robbery gang that invaded the
Anthony Village home of the Publisher of Vanguard Newspapers, Mr. Sam Amuka,
last month.
Recall
that the bandits also attacked the 81-year-old Publisher with iron rods and
other dangerous weapons, at the end of which his mobile phone, electronic
gadgets, money and other valuables were stolen.
Although
two of the suspects claimed to be from Borno State, while the third said he is
a Chadian, police said preliminary investigation revealed that they are all
citizens of the Republic of Chad.
The suspects, identified as Musa Atim
Abubakar, 32; Abdulrasaq Hassan, 43, and Umar Useni, 46, were arrested in
Festac and Ajao Estate in Lagos, and Sango Otta in Ogun State. A Mitsubishi
saloon car, with number plates LSD 337 BQ, which they drove on the day of the
robbery was also recovered.
The
suspects, identified as Musa Atim Abubakar, 32; Abdulrasaq Hassan, 43, and Umar
Useni, 46, were arrested in Festac and Ajao Estate in Lagos, and Sango Otta in
Ogun State.
A
Mitsubishi saloon car, with number plates LSD 337 BQ, which they drove on the
day of the robbery was also recovered. They were said to be on the verge of
selling the vehicle at a give-away price and flee to Niger Republic, when they
were arrested.
Lagos
police boss speaks Briefing newsmen on their arrest, Lagos State’s Commissioner
of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, said: “Since the incident happened, the command
deployed all available techniques at its disposal to get the suspects.
“We
were able to get three of them, who were interrogated and they have confessed
to the crime. We are looking for the fourth man, because Mr. Amuka said they
were four men that attacked him. “The vehicle they used on that day, including
a sledge hammer and an iron cutter, were recovered from them.
“They
are Chadians and cross country criminals. We are still interrogating them. At
the end of our interrogation, we believe we will get more facts, especially
their motive, since this attack on Amuka was not the first.”
He
was, however, mum on the details of their arrest, explaining that divulging
such would jeopardise investigation. Private guards’ role To the astonishment
of all, the suspects, who were paraded before journalists, revealed that two
private guards attached to the premises of the publisher gave their fleeing
gang leader, who they identified simply as Gambo, information that there was
money in the house.
According
to one of them, Useni, who spoke in pidgin English: “I am from Gamboru Ngala
Local Government Area of Borno State. I am not from Chad. I have been living in
Satellite Town since 2011. I have worked as a gardener in a school around that
area before I met Gambo, our leader.
“Two
security men in Baba’s (Amuka) compound brought the information to Gambo. They
told Gambo to come with his boys on a Saturday, that Baba brought some money
home. One of the guards is an Ibo man, while the other is Hausa. Gambo knows
their names, but I don’t. “On the day we attacked, I met Gambo at Apple
Junction, after a telephone conversation, from where we headed to Anthony
Village.
“I
did not beat Baba. He fell down while he was running. When I saw blood on him,
I begged my colleagues not to harm him because he is an old man. Besides, Baba
threw an envelope at me when we asked him to give us the money. In it was
N300,000.
“After
the operation, we drove to a hotel where we shared the money. The security men
that brought the business got N30,000 each.
Gambo
took the money to them on Sunday evening and they told us to go into hiding
that policemen were around.”
Loot
sharing On his part, Atim Abubakar, who also spoke in pidgin, said: “I was in
my house at Sango, when Mohammed (pointing to one of his partners in crime)
called me on phone that there was a job we had to execute.
“He said Gambo, our leader, brought the job.
They said I should come and meet them at Anthony, from where we drove to the
house.
“While Hassan (the driver) waited in the car,
three of us went inside. We tied the security men at the gate and went
upstairs. We broke the ceiling and made straight for Baba’s apartment, where we
met him sleeping.
“Immediately
he saw us, he ran. While Umaru and Mohammed went after him, I went straight to
the cupboard where I saw some newspapers and N100,000. I also collected two
pieces of 20 pounds. I did not know it was Pound Sterling until Gambo told me.
At the end of the operation, we all got N70,000 each.” I got N30,000.
The
third suspect, Hassan, who claimed to be a bureau-de-change operator, revealed
that he also ran a car hire service in Ajao Estate. He stated that his vehicle
was hired and that he did not know that they were going to rob. After the
operation, he said that he drove the suspects to his house at Ajao, where the
money was shared, adding that his share was N30,000.
Tags
Society