By Ifeanyi Okolie

Some time in July 2010, the Nigeria Police Force suffered a huge lose, when four of its  personnel were murdered in cold blood, by some unknown gunmen.  The dare-devils ambushed their red- colored Mazda saloon car,  along Ijesha- Ijebu-Ilishan Road in Ago- Iwoye area of Ogun State, killing all four occupants.  Their AK-47 rifles were carted  away.

News of this incident which made headlines in most national dailies, sent tears running down the eyes of both relatives and also colleagues of these officers.

Police authorities represented by their spokesman in Ogun State, Olumuyiwa Adejobi , described the incident “as one of  the hazards associated with the profession,” and he also boasted  that the  police will do all  within its powers to fish out the perpetrators.

In spite of Police efforts to track down the fleeing bandits, they continued with their onslaught in the area. Three weeks after, they regrouped, added more men to their number and attacked the Ikpero-Ijebu branch of Intercontinental Bank, and made away with a large sum of money.

They carried out the operation uninterrupted for hours after which they went to a rendezvous at a secluded location in Ikorodu area of Lagos State, where they shared their loots.  But luck ran out of two members of this notorious gang, who got intercepted on their way home, by a team of Rapid Response Squad (RRS), on a routine patrol at Ogolonto suburb of Ikorodu.

They were accosted at a very dark portion of the road while trying to fix a bad tire. They were searched and a large sum of money was found in the boot of their car.

This however, aroused suspicion of the police, who promptly placed the duo under arrest.  One of them attempted to escape, but  was shot dead.  His colleague, Kabiru Kpokpola,31,  was transferred to the  dreaded Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FEDSARS), Adeniji Adele, Lagos for profiling. There it was discovered that he is a member of a notorious armed robbery gang that have been unleashing terror in most parts of the country.

Crime Alert spoke with the surviving suspect, Kabiru Kpokpola and he gave a startling narration of  how  he joined the gang, the operations they had , why they killed the policemen and how they planned  and robbed the bank.

Excerpts;

I am from Ewo, Osun State.  My gang does not have a name.  The  squad leader is Akin. I started robbery in 2008 and I joined the gang in January in 2009.   We met first, some where around Ijebu-ode, which was where I joined the gang. Though before I joined Akins gang, I had worked with one other gang at Akure and they specialized in snatching exotic cars. We had two successful operations and we snatched over three cars.  But I preferred Akins gang, that was why I went for him. We met at Isheri in Ijebu and they took me on a mission that same night. We snatched a Toyota Camry saloon car valued at N3m.

The first operation with the gang was along Ilesha road  in Isheri, we were five in number  and we used two vehicles.   One of these vehicles was driven  by one Akin, all he does is surveillance.   He alerts us when there is danger. And we, in our own vehicle, look out for potential targets, which are usually exotic cars with very good market value.

And during this mission, we drive very slowly, and whenever we see an exotic car with tinted glass, we don’t attack them because we can’t see the occupant.  When we saw the Toyota Camry from behind, we slowed down a bit.  When it was ahead of us, we went after it and got it intercepted. We had two Ak-47 rifles and we terrified the male driver and the female occupant with our weapons and they scurried for safety, while I drove the car away.

When we got to our rendezvous, I handed the car over to Akin.  Few days later,  he called me to meet him at Ogere toll-Gate between Lagos and Ibadan and there, he gave me sixty thousand naira as my share and assured he would keep in touch with me.

Akin and other members of his gang carried out other missions.  The second job I did with them was along Ijebu-ode, Shagamu Expressway.  We snatched one vehicle and employed same method.   The third time we went for an operation was in July 2010.  We saw a small red- colored Mazda car between Ago-Iwoye and Ilesha.  The occupants were policemen and they had four Ak-47 rifle with them.

I told my colleagues not to go after them because that was not the type of car we were looking for and they told me that they wanted their rifle.  I groaned at this because I wasn’t ready for gun fight with the policemen and I advised that we take another route.

The guy who sat  on the front  passenger seat with an Ak-47 rifle , we use to call him Taju,  told me that all we needed was their weapon and while I was trying to persuade Taju that  we don’t have to take this risk, and that this policemen were not looking for us, one of the guys at the back passenger seat with an Ak- 47 opened fire on the policemen’s vehicle and it lost control and ran into the bush.

We closed the gaps and they shot into the car sporadically.  Myself, Taju and the other guy who shot at the car were ordered to alight and take away the guns from the policemen. I moved  slowly because I was scared and they barked at me to move  quickly and take away the weapons.   After we recovered the arms, we took them to Akin and we were unable to work for that day.

Three weeks later, Akin invited me to our rendezvous where he said we had to rob a bank. On that day, I was very broke and I needed money and I had no option other to comply with his orders.   Before we went for the operation, he brought in another gang and the name of their leader is Igwe.   I don’t know if he is an Igbo man but he speaks Yoruba fluently.  But before we embarked on the operation, we met at a spot in Ilesha.  We both drove into a bush where  we drew our plans for the operation.

The plans were that since we have six Ak- 47 rifles in our gang, each of us should be armed while members of the other gang will also use theirs.  We also had one car and they had one too.  Our plan was that one of our cars will be driven to the nearest junction and there we would stay to ward off any threat while the other gang’s vehicle will stop in front of the bank and they will shoot into the air to indicate that the operation has begun.  Igwe and one other person from his gang will go into  the bank and come out
at exactly 15 minutes with our loot.

When the operation commenced, Igwe  went through the security door.  He was holding a gun and an axe.  He  told the other guy with him to hold on to the door when  it opens while he breaks through the other security door. I think that was how he got into the bank.  It was a successful operation and we  drove down to a secluded area in Ikorodu where we shared our loot.  I was given N350, 000.

After that, every body left to their various destinations and  I went with one other member of my gang.   It seems like he resides in Lagos. I went with him because I wanted to get off at Ketu , where I can get a bus heading for Ibadan where I reside.  When we got to Ogolonto,  Baba  stopped and he said he wanted to buy yam for his family and he went to the trunk of his car and brought out a  mask we wore  during the operation  and he inserted his share of his money in it and I had mine close to me in my seat. I was worried and I told Baba that this place was not too safe and we left.

We moved a little distance and the tire got bust and while we were trying to fix it, a team of Policemen attached to Rapid Respond Squad (RRS) came and they inquired what we were doing.  I told them that we were only trying to fix our tires, but they insisted on searching our vehicles and they saw the money.   I attempted to run, but I fell into a deep ditch and Baba raced a long distance but he was shot at the back.

I was arrested and I gave the policemen a different name.  However, when I came here, one of  the policemen called me by my name and I denied it, but I did not know they had some people in the cell that knew me very well.  They are receivers of stolen vehicles based in Abuja. Baba Later died from the bullet injury and I’m left alone.