Four members of the 18-man gang of bank robbers that attacked different banks at Ijede, Ogolonto areas of Ikorodu and Lekki, Ajah, Lagos State on Monday revealed how they planned the bank robberies that left residents in shock.
The suspects confessed that to plan the bank robberies, they met at a creek located at Ajegunle area of Ikorodu, after receiving phone calls from members.
The robbery attack was led by a gang member identified as Million.
The member called ‘Million’ is the one that used to braid his hair and looked a lot like a woman.
The police are however already on the trail of Million.
In their confessions, they said they were part of the members that attacked First City Monument Bank at Lekki, where they killed three policemen and a girl hawking fish.
They later attacked other banks at Ijede and Ogolonto areas of Ikorodu.
They attacked the banks in Ogolonto on June 24, 2015.
According to them, they carted away N15 million in the FCMB robbery and N25 million from First bank in Ogolonto.
They however said they weren’t sure about the amount looted from other three banks in Ogolonto.
The four suspects are Monday Omoboye 39, aka Alam Blow; Agbojule Bright, 25; Monday Ikuesan 37; and Promise Abiwa, 20.
Bright, who said he attended College of Education, Ekiedolor, Edo State and read English and Christian Religious Knowledge, confessed that he was given N3 million as his share of the loot from the Ogolonto operation.
Like is common among most arrested robbery suspects, Bright said a friend introduced him to the crime, adding that the friend never told him the job he was getting for him was robbery.
Bright added: “I went into robbery because of hardship. We were 18 members that embarked on that robbery. We held our meeting at a creek, at Ajegunle area of Ikorodu. It was after the meeting that we moved for the operation. We went in a boat. We went with eight rifles and two pump action guns.
“I don’t know how much we made in the operation, but I was given N3 million!
“I used part of my money to buy a Lexus Jeep.
“I gave my wife N30,000 to write her WAEC.
“I also gave some of the money to a friend of mine for safekeeping.”
Bright said his wife didn’t know that he was an armed robber because he had a spare part business he was doing on the side.
Bright said he was arrested after one Akpan, a car dealer he bought his Lexus Jeep from, called him to come and collect his receipt.
When he got to Ishawo, Ikorodu, plain cloth policemen swooped on him.
Another gang member, Ikuesan, a fisherman from Ondo State, revealed how they planned and carried out the FCMB robbery at Lekki, Ajah.
He said he had gone to borrow a boat for fishing, when the owner convinced him to join in the robbery.
Ikuesan said: “He told me that they wanted me to assist them ride their boat that they were going for a bank robbery operation. I joined because money I make from fishing is not enough. The leader of our gang, Million, gave me N400,000 for the Ogolonto robbery. I was also given N180,000 for the Ijede robbery. Money shared often depends on what we make from operations.”
Omoboye, another boat rider, said: “I was the person that manned the boat on the day we went for the FCMB operation. When they called me, they never told me they were going for robbery. I was the one who handled the speed boat to Epe. We lodged at a hotel at Epe and around 2pm, we left for Lekki. We got to Lekki around 3:30pm.”
Omoboye recounted that they were 18 gang members that embarked on the Lekki robbery.
He said: “Fifteen members alighted from the boat at Lekki, while I and three others were left in the boat on standby. We escaped through the waterway after the operation.”
Omoboye said after the robbery, they moved bank to the creek, at Ikorodu, which happened to be the place where they used to meet to plan operations and where they gather after operations.
His words: “Yes, after the bank robbery operation at FCMB, we moved to the creeks in Ikorodu. I was given N400,000 for the FCMB operation and N400,000 for the Ijede operation. I collected N2 million for the Ogolonto bank robberies. I participated in the three bank robbery operations. I have two wives and five children but my wife does not know I’m into armed robbery. I bought a Lexus Jeep from the proceeds of the operation four days after the robbery. I bought it for N1.5 million.”
According to Omoboye, he was later arrested at Igbogbo junction.
He said that the guns used in the operations were provided by Million and Kakado.
He said: “Million and Kakado are our bosses. We do whatever they ask us. Police are yet to arrest them.”
Speaking on Monday at the Police Headquarters, Ikeja, the former Commissioner of Police, Kayode Adarenti, who said the parade was his last official duty in Lagos State before he hands over to his successor, explained that when the robbers attacked four banks at Ogolonto, he had vowed that he wouldn’t rest until the robbers were arrested.
Aderanti said: “I promised we would get them and we got them!”
It will be recalled that on June 20, 2015, the robbers attacked four banks at Ogolonto, Ipakodo, carting away millions of naira.
Items recovered from the suspects included two Lexus Jeeps RX 300, marked KRD 29 DA, Lexus Jeep Eky 641DB and Infinity Jeep marked 642 DQ.