Friday, March 29, 2024

Robbers unleash terror on Ibeju-Lekki community, cart way N3m cash

Suspected armed robbers have launched attacks on residents of Ibeju Lekki area of Lagos State, carting away millions of naira cash.

The robbers, who were 10 in number, threw the community in panic, following the attack, which left people with various degrees of injuries. One of the victims, Kafilat Onikoyi, was beaten to coma.

Our correspondent learnt that the community had recorded several similar attacks in the past few months.

It was gathered that the suspects, who made away with about N3million from a government mining site at Idi-Orogbo, Ibeju, where the attack took place, were heavily armed.

But men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad attached to the Lagos Police Command, were said to have arrested four of the suspects, with others still at large.

Speaking to our correspondent, one of the workers at the site, who simply identified himself as Dada, said, “They attacked us during the daylight. They were up to 10 in number. They came with gun and cutlasses. After beating us all, they took away a huge sum. They told us they would have killed us because the money was not much.”

Also speaking, a worker at the site, who did not want to be identified, said, “They came through the back of the site and attacked the workers with guns.

“They came with guns and cutlasses and said they owned the land. They beat Kafilat till she fainted.  It was on Saturday. They engaged us and beat some of us. They carted away about N3million. This is not the first time we are experiencing this kind of attack.”

Meanwhile, it was gathered that the robbers “had been coming to the site to demand money from the workers, claiming that they are the landowners.”

Our correspondent learnt that, prior to the attack, the suspects had laid siege on the site to monitor activities of the workers.

“About 10 of them came and laid siege on us. Most of them are from Lagos Island. They had come and collected money earlier, before they came on that Friday in a squad with ammunition. They must have been monitoring our movements, so that they could track the money,” Kuso, one of the workers, said.

Meanwhile, the arrest of the four suspects, our correspondent gathered, followed a manhunt launched by men of the Lagos SARS.

The arrested suspects confessed to the crime, saying that they were sent by one Prince Adele within the community.

Adele, according to them, contracted the operation to one Coker, who mobilised other suspects.

Coker, they said, usually provided the gang ammunition for their operations. Both Adele and Coker, with others, are still at large.

It was also gathered that the robbers had been terrorising Ibeju community and the suburbs for a long time.

The coordinator of the mining site, Mrs. Wuraola Williams, said government was ready to ensure the robbery suspects were made to serve as deterrent to others.

Recounting her experience, Williams said, “I was not on the site when the issue happened, I was called that our workers were robbed at gun point. Immediately, I asked my driver to take me down there. But when I got there, I met some of our workers already beaten mercilessly and N2.3m carted away already. One of our workers, called Iya Ishola, is still in the hospital as I speak with you. I have a report that she was beaten till she fainted, when she attempted to raise the alarm. I am calling on the police to save our lives on the site.”

Meanwhile, the Onibeju of Ibeju community, Oba Rafiu Salami, said, “I will not tolerate that in my town. They should be made to face the wrath of the law.”

It was gathered from a police source that three of the arrested suspects had been remanded at Ikoyi prison, after they were arraigned
in court.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent Chike Oti, confirmed the incident to our correspondent, saying that investigation was ongoing to arrest other members of the gang, now at large.”

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