November nightmare: As dare-devil robbers terrorize Ogun State

By DAUD OLATUNJI

In the annals of the Gateway State, otherwise known as Ogun State, no month is like last November. It was a month of terror, the month insecurity reared its ugly head and rendered security agencies almost helpless.

Many lives and properties were lost to armed robbery attacks.

It was gathered that the armed robbers were successful because they took advantage of the fact that the security personnel in Ogun were ill equipped to combat crime. They carried out not less than 15 operations in the month alone.

They attacked people irrespective of status. Their victims include the aged, children, politicians, students, artisans, traders, bankers and depositors. Even journalists were not left out.

No one could sleep with his two eyes closed.

Though there had been robbery attacks long before Governor Ibikunle Amosun assumed office six months ago, the banditry that occurred in November was mind-boggling.

The spate of robberies began shortly after Amosun sounded a note of warning to criminals to steer clear of the state while urging security agencies to brace up to rid Ogun of crime as the last Eid-el- Kabir was approaching.

crime suspects

On November 4, a gang of armed robbers struck in Abeokuta, the state capital. In attack, journalists and some ex-lawmakers were the victims. About N500,000 was stolen by the robbers.

It occurred at the new secretariat of the Ogun State Correspondents Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), located in Isabo. The robbers, who were said to have

unleashed terror on the people of the area 24 hours before the attack, operated without hindrance. One of the victims of the previous attack, Taiwo Olalekan, said the gang operated for more than three hours, raiding several houses successfully.

Six days after, precisely November 10, some men of underworld invaded some banks in the permanent site of Olabisi Onabanjo Univeristy (OOU) where three persons were allegedly killed. The robbers, it was learnt, carted away huge sums of money.

According to an eye witness, the 20-man gang began the deadly operation around 11:30 a.m., having arrived in one army green Camry and a white Toyota bus.

It was gathered that the robbers had inside information about huge money being deposited by students who were rushing to meet up with the deadline of the payment of their school fees.

At the end of the operation, not less than five banks were raided. To gain entry, the robbers bombed the security doors of the banks. The attack lasted about 45minutes. Among the dead, according to the eye witness, were two undergraduates.

One of the survivors, said to be a nursing mother who had her baby strapped at the back, was reportedly hit by a bullet on her tummy and she had to be taken to a private hospital in Ago Iwoye for treatment.

On November 13, another robbery gang stormed the residence of the immediate-past deputy speaker of the State House of Assembly, Ayo Odugbesan, where they allegedly stole properties worth millions of naira and injured his wife.

The incident occurred in Obasanjo’s Hiltop GRA, Oke-Mosan Abeokuta. The robbers, numbering about seven, were said to have operated for seven hours without being challenged by security agencies.

Odugbesan said he was not at home when the robbers visited. He, however, confirmed that his properties were stolen while his wife was wounded.

The bandits, according to Odugbesan, invaded his four flats and operated between 9 p.m. and 4 a.m.

As the police moved to arrest the perpetrators of the robbery, the former deputy governor of the state, Alhaja Salmot Badru, became the next target at the same Obasanjo Hiltop  GRA, Oke-Mosan Abeokuta  on November 18. The robbers were, however, chased away by policemen, who reportedly got to the scene on time and challenged the robbers.

Badru, it was learnt, had been trailed to the house by the bandits. But luck was on her side as she had enough time to lock herself in her room and alerted the police.

It was the turn of the people of Sagamu six days after. That was November 24, when a gang struck, and made away huge sums of money while killing at least four people. The operation left several others with injuries.

The robbers, who invaded Sabo area of Akarigbo Road in Sagamu local government area of the state, robbed some commercial banks, after bombing the banks security doors. However, the robbers met a stiff resistance from members of a vigilante group in the area, who killed the gang’s driver in a gun duel.

On November 29, a gang raided 15 houses, including an hostel, at Oke-Ejigbo in Abeokuta South local government area, killing two people and injuring several others.

The robbers were reported to have operated between midnight and around 3 a.m. The robbers were  alleged to be have moved in group from one house to the other.

They allegedly killed one night-watchman and another man whose identity could not be ascertained.

Many people sustained various degrees of injury.

According to one of the victims, Deacon Dele Babalola, some of the robbers were between the age of 18 and 30 years, and carried dangerous weapons.

He said the robbers threatened to kill anybody who refused to cooperate. The victim said the robbers challenged any policemen around to dare them.

On Nov. 31, a gang struck at Ifo branch of one of the new generation banks and went away with an undisclosed amount of money.

The incident was said to have occurred in the early hours of that Tuesday, when a night guard was reportedly tied by the robbers before they carted away their loot.

The robbers were said to have scaled the fence of the bank located at Matthew Bus-Stop in Ifo and used iron saw to cut the burglary proof of the building before gaining entry into the banking hall.

The source disclosed that officials of the bank were shocked when they reported for work the following day, and found the night guard tied, while doors to the banking hall were left ajar.

The police at Ifo went to the scene and untied the guard before they whisked him away.

To protest the attacks, banks in the state, last week, withdrew their services.

The Ogun police spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi, who confirmed the attacks, however, said the police were in control of the situation.

And the governor has vowed to make the state hot for robbers and other criminals.

Amosun announced that Ogun would soon take delivery of sophisticated equipment to enable security operatives tackle robbers.

According to him, the state needs about 120 patrol vehicles and 30 APCs to effectively secure the state.

The governor, who addressed the Bankers’ Forum in Abeokuta, revealed that government was set to take delivery of 10 APCs.

He added: “We have also approached some neighboring states to lend us some of their APCs to assist in confronting the security challenges we are facing here and they are enthusiastic in doing that.”