The Lagos State Police Command has arrested nine men who attempted to rob May and Baker Pharmaceutical Company, Oregun, Ikeja.
This arrest came after the same gang burgled the pharmaceutical company last year, carting away chemicals valued at millions of naira.
The attack of last year and the present foiled robbery were said to have been orchestrated by security guards attached to the company, who were supposed to guard against enemies, but instead became the enemies.
According to the police spokesperson in Lagos State, Ngozi Braide: “On August, 24, 2013, operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad received information that robbers were planning to attack May and Baker, one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in Nigeria. Immediately they got the information, the detectives embarked on surveillance.
“On the day the robbers came to attack the company, our men were there by 6pm and waited until 12pm, when the robbers came to strike and were caught right in the act. The robbers had already connived with some of the security guards to lace juice with sleeping pills and give to other security guards. But they were arrested just as they were about to strike. The robbers came with two empty trucks with which to use to cart away the chemicals.”
Braide further said that the same company was burgled last year.
She added that the gang came with two AK47 rifles and had wanted to make away with 84 cartons of the chemicals.
Recovered from the gang were padlocks to the warehouses, which they had already cut, knife, caps and some packet of juice, which were supposed to be laced with sleeping substance.
Among the nine suspects were two security guards belonging to ASCO security.
Both men have been identified as Ali Salief and Nekela Abubakar.
Though both men denied being involved in the crime, Abubakar however insisted that Ali knew about the crime.
He said: “He had repeatedly told me about the deal, but I was not really interested.”
The man at the centre of attention, Olarewanju Simeon, 29, a former ASCO security guard, said: “We were set up by one of the guards whom we trusted.
“His name is Richard.
“He is a security guard with Royal Guard.”
Simeon did not deny his involvement in the crime and equally admitted to have been a part of the gang that robbed the pharmaceutical company last year.
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