Lekki Robbery Gang Reveals How FCMB Was Robbed Of N15 Million

Lekki Robbery Gang Reveals How FCMB Was
Robbed Of N15 Million

Two months after they held the Lekki axis of
Lagos hostage and robbed a First City
Monument Bank (FCMB) branch, the suspects
who have been arrested, Wednesday revealed
how they carted away N15 million from the
bank.
Fresh facts emerged that the suspects were
also pipeline vandals, who constantly terrorised
the Arepo area of Ogun State.
The gang had on Thursday, March 12, 2015,
stormed the bank on Admiralty Way, Lekki,
carted away N15 million and killed five persons,
including three policemen during the attack.
Wielding sophisticated weapons and dressed in
military camouflage, the gang had accessed the
bank in two speed boats through the Lekki
waterways.
As of yesterday, four of the suspects, namely,
Duke Odogbo, 38; Lawrence Kingsley, 31; Ebi
Tosan, 20; and Ekelemo Kuete, 30, were being
held at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS)
of the Lagos State Police Command.
Confessing to the part he played, Odogbo said
he was invited to join the operation by one of
his friends whom he identified as Vika.
He said: "I was in Warri, Delta State when the
operation was planned by our leaders in Arepo.
I got about N500,000 as my share in the N15
million we stole in the operation.
"We left for the operation from an Island close
to Abule Oba area of Ikorodu. Initially, I thought
it was for us to go out to vandalise NNPC
pipeline.
"But I got to know that it was robbery when I
arrived Arepo. We left there in two speed boats
to Lekki on Wednesday, but one of the boats
developed problem along the way.
"We slept in a creek at Lekki because it was
late. The next day we proceeded to the bank.
Five of us entered the bank, five stayed outside
the bank, while the remaining five remained in
the boat.
"I blew open the door to the banking hall. We
asked the staff of the bank to call their
manager. We came out with the sum of N15
million. When we came out, we left the same
way we came.
"It was while we were in the boat that I
discovered two strange AK 47 riffles. I
demanded to know where it came from. I was
told that they got the guns from some
policemen they killed.
"They told me that they saw a police patrol van
parked by the side of the road and immediately
opened fire on it, killing the three policemen on
the spot."
For another suspect, Kuete, who operated one
of the boats on the day of the operation, he
said he got only N50,000 as his own share
from the stolen money.
He said: "I must confess, I knew that we were
going to rob a bank. I am a bunkerer at Arepo
and I make at least N80,000 from each
bunkering operation.
"I remained in the boat along with four others
while the other 10 members of the gang left for
the bank. When they came back, they said we
should leave immediately. We headed back to
Arepo where our leaders shared the money
according to individual involvement."
Parading the suspects, the state Commissioner
of Police, Kayode Aderanti, said one Honda
Accord 2008 model, one white blackberry Z10
phone, one white Apple iPhone 5, one military
face cap and 130 expended ammunition were
recovered from the four suspects so far
arrested.
He said: "After the movie like action, the
bandits left in their trail five corpses, three of
which were policemen who though on another
assignment patriotically and gallantly engaged
the bandits in a duel in order to forestall their
operations.
"The three gallant policemen were Inspector
Bethel Agbobu, Sgt. Odehowo George and Cpl.
Imoisiu Ikechukwu. Two civilians were also
mowed down by the dare devil armed robbers.
"They were Sowemimo Kabiru, Miss Sarah
Ibikunle, a 15-year-old girl who sells fish
around the vicinity of the bank."
Aderanti said following the attack, he
immediately directed the officer in charge of
SARS, Abba Kyari, the Deputy Commissioner of
Police in charge of operations and the Deputy
Commissioner of Police in charge of State
Criminal Investigations Department (SCID) to
fish out the fleeing gunmen.
He said: "Following the directive, Kyari and his
men through advance technology were able to
track the suspects. Some of the suspects were
traced to Delta State from where they were
arrested, while two others were arrested in
Ogun State."