5 suspected ‘one-chance’ robbers who killed their victim with hammer arrested in Abuja (photo)
- An Abuja armed robbery gang killed a victim in an attempt to rob him inside a taxi
- The victim was reportedly attacked on his way from Abuja to Suleja, Niger state on May 27, 2018
- After being arrested by the police, the robbers confessed to hitting the victim with a hammer on his shoulder and wrist but said they were surprised to hear that he died
Police operatives attached to the Federal Capital Territory Command Special Anti-Kidnaping Squad have reportedly arrested five members of an armed robbery gang that robbed unsuspecting passengers in their taxi.
The suspects, Ebuka Ezeanyido, 28; Chidebe Okocha, 36; Chukwuma Amichie, 30; Augustine Agbo, 32; and Chinedu Obi, 25, were arrested following an investigation into the disappearance of one Michael Ibebuogu who was reported missing by members of his family, The Punch reports.
Ibebuogu allegedly left his brother’s house at Apo, Abuja for Suleja, Niger state on May 27, 2018, but never arrived at his destination.
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Legit.ng gathered that the missing man’s phone was however traced to one of the suspects who led detectives to arrest his accomplices.
The FCT commissioner of police, Sadiq Bello, who paraded the suspects in Abuja on Thursday, June 14, explained that Okocha confessed that he hit Ibebuogu on his head with a hammer when he tried to take control of their operational car from the driver.
“The suspects said they abandoned his body under Apo Bridge. Efforts are ongoing to recover the remains of the deceased. The operational car used by the gang, an army green Volkswagen Passat Wagon, one hammer and phone of the deceased have been recovered as exhibits,” Bello stated.
Ezeanyido, who said he was a taxi driver before he joined the robbery gang said: “I and my friend, Okocha came to Abuja, so we picked the man in our cab. When the man noticed that we wanted to rob him, he started dragging the steering with the driver; so this brother (Agbo) hit him on the shoulder with a hammer and we stopped the cab and allowed him to go, but he was not dead when we left him.”
Okocha claimed he was doing business at Wuse market, Abuja but decided to join the robbery gang after he had issues with some people.
Explaining how the gang operated, he said that they usually robbed one person at a time in their taxi.
He said: “We usually pick a passenger and while driving, the driver would ask him to put on his seatbelt while Magic Finger (Agbo) would cleverly snatch the victim’s money or phone.
“So the man (Ibebuogu) noticed what was happening and he attempted to take over the steering, I hit him with a hammer on his shoulder and wrist, we stopped the cab and he disembarked; we were surprised to hear that he died.”
Agbo who was responsible for picking the victim’s pocket or bag claimed he joined the gang about three months ago, adding that he had “robbed just three or four persons”.
“I just started robbing about three months, I have robbed just three or four persons,” he stated.
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Earlier, Legit.ng reported that residents of the Salihawa village in the Batagarawa local government area of Katsina state lynched three suspected armed robbers on Thursday, June 14.
The suspects were said to have blocked a road between Barawa and Sahilawa village around 8:30 am.
According to a police source, they shot a 31-year-old resident of Salihawa village identified as Sani Lawal.
He said: “The development made other villagers to mobilise and confront the robbers who were eventually lynched.”
The incident was confirmed by the spokesman for the Kaduna state police command, DSP Gambo Isah.
Lagos Police Commissioner parades suspected criminals (Nigeria News) | on Legit.ng TV
Source: Legit.ng
