Ikorodu Robbery: Police Offers Five Million Naira Reward For Information

Three weeks after armed robbers raided
two banks in Ikorodu, Lagos, the same
set of bandits may have returned to the
same area on June 24, attacking two
other banks.
The daredevil robbers even raided a
bank in front of a police station and
escaped unhurt.
The hoodlums, numbering about 10,
stormed Ogolonto in Ikorodu through the
water- ways at 9 am, snatched two Sports
Utility Vehicles (SUV) before heading to a
new generation bank.
The bandits who did not steal enough
money in the bank, headed straight to an
old generation bank in front of the Ipa­
kodo Police Station, holding the staff and
customers at the bank hostage for over
40 minutes. Police were said to
disappear as the raid lasted.
The hoodlums who were firing sporadi­
cally, escaped as they did three weeks
ago through the Lagoon.
The robbers repeated what they did the
last time, by burning three of their
snatched vehicles before escaping
through the waterways.
Many people, especially women, were
injured during the stampede as people
took to their heels during the shooting
that lasted for about an hour.
Eyewitnesses said during the shooting,
there was pandemonium. Motorists aban­
doned their vehicles, colliding with one
another as they scampered to safety.
A witness, Mr. John Amore told Crime
Watch Today that the “robbers were the
same gang that came about three weeks
ago. They became more formidable and
desperate this time around as they
robbed a bank in front of Ipakodo Police
Station They still escaped through the
same way they did previously. They set
ablaze three of the snatched vehicles
they came with before escaping.
A police source said:” We did not run
away as people are claiming. We safe­
guarded our station and refused to fire
at the robbers while in the banking hall.
If we had fired at them, we would have
succeeded in killing many innocent
citizens. We later engaged them in a
serious gun duel and due to the superior
fire-power of our arms, the hoodlums
took to their heels, abandoning their
vehicles”
However, residents of Ikorodu have sent
a Save-Our-Soul (SOS) to the Commission­
er of Police, Mr. Kayode Aderanti, to
come to their rescue as their lives were
in danger.
A resident, Wasiu Ayola, said:” Our lives
are in danger. Three weeks ago, it was
like a war situation. We ran for cover.
Today again, it is the same war situation.
Is it how we would be running up and
down for our dear lives every three
weeks? The Commissioner of Police
should do something urgently to save us
from the hoodlums who are now
terrorizing us.”
The state Police Command’s spokesper­
son, Mr Kenneth Nwosu, who confirmed
the attack, said: “At about 8.30 hours of
today (yesterday), some bandits number­
ing 10, stormed two banks on Ipakodo
Road, Ikorodu and carted away
unspecified amount of money. The
bandits were engaged by policemen
mobilized to the scene, forcing them to
escape through the Ongin jetty along
Kosoko waterfront.
“The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State
Police Command (CP), Kayode Aderanti,
visited the scene as well as the jetty from
where the hoodlums escaped.
“He later held an emergency security
meeting with the police leadership in
Area ‘N’ command with managers and
security officers of banks operating in
Ikorodu.
“Far-reaching decisions towards tackling
the menace of these hoodlums were
made. Intensive efforts toward rounding
up the hoodlums are underway, even as
the CP assured the banks of the
command’s resolve to ensure the safety
of their operations in Ikorodu and
indeed the state.
“Three vehicles used by the bandits were
burnt under cross-fire and empty shells
were recovered by the police. The
command will reward anybody with
useful information towards the arrest of
the bank robbers with N5 million,”
Nwosu said.
SunNews