INSIDE ROBBERS’
DEN
Police invade bandits’ hideout, discover weapons, corpses
By JULIANA FRANCIS
Thursday,
February 1, 2007
 |
•The
robber’s lifeless body
•Photo: Sun News Publishing |
| |
A black spot in Alapere, Ketu, Lagos, which the police code-named
‘Baboo black spot,’ appears to be receiving special
attention as more robbery suspects have, in the recent times,
either been killed or arrested by the anti-robbery team.
An aviation activist, Captain Jerry Agbeyegbe, was killed
at that notorious spot a few years ago .
Since the gruesome murder of Agbeyegbe, there have also been
incessant reports of one form of robbery or the other being
perpetrated there by men of the underworld .
On January 19, policemen on patrol were said to have had a
bloody encounter with five armed robbers at about 7am. The
suspects later fled into the bush, near the Third Mainland
Bridge. Two of them were, however, not lucky as they were
shot by the police .
Daily Sun gathered that when the anti-robbery men traced drops
of blood, they found three bodies. Two were said to be decomposing
while the third one was one of the victims shot in the gun
duel that morning.
Daily Sun gathered that the robber wanted to swim across the
canal but died while waiting to regain strength.
Like the decomposed bodies, he was dressed in a black shirt,
a pair of trousers and a canvass that could facilitate running.
When the area was combed, a locally made pistol, several toy
guns and torchlights were found. The bush was also littered
with victims’ identity cards, cheque books, make-ups
, driver’s licences, among others.
The police believe that the two decomposing bodies in black
outfits were robbers.
According to the police, many routes found in Alapere/Third
Mainland Bridge were used by the robbers to escape after robbing
victims.
Two weeks before the shocking discoveries, Alapere and Ogudu
divisions of the police had embarked on a night patrol to
wage war against armed robbers and this paid off as they killed
one and arrested four. The suspects were in military uniforms.
The latest operation carried out by Alapere division on the
black spot became necessary as complaints by motorists increased
by the day.
A policeman attached to the division revealed why the police
had, in the past, failed to achieve success in dislodging
the hoodlums.
He said: “We believe that before the robbers embark
on operation, they come to check out the position and location
of the police patrol team. If policemen are stationed in the
front, they would rob behind and drive against the traffic.
If the patrol team was stationed at the back, the robbers
would rob in the front. We decided to beat them at their games.
We devised a trick. We have come to realize that the robbers
knew and recognized our vehicles. We decided not to use our
vehicles. One of our men volunteered his car. We started driving
along the Third Mainland Bridge until we got to the ‘baboo
black spot’. We saw them, five of them. They were in
black vests, jeans and had a torchlight. They flagged down
the first car. Ours was behind the first car while two others
were behind us.”
As soon as the bandits’ intention became clear, the
policemen said they opened fire. Two of them who were allegedly
hit by bullets jumped over the bridge. They were believed
to have died from bullet wounds.
A police source has, however, advised motorists to be careful
anytime people using torchlight flag them down at night. Attempts
made to speak to the Divisional Police Officer of Alapere
police Division, Mr. J.P. Kenne, proved abortive as he referred
Daily Sun to the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Olubode
Ojajuni. |
