A four-man gang of armed robbers, on Friday afternoon, robbed a businessman $11million cash at the Oke-Sokori axis of Abeokuta metropolis, Ogun State capital.
The robbers, all clad in black T-shirt and Jean trousers, also wore black facemasks, brandished their riffles on the metropolitan street in an operation that lasted about three minutes only.
They escaped the scene with their targeted money stacked in two ‘Ghana-Must-Go’ bags after demobilising the car of the unsuspecting victim, an Hausa trader, who rode in a Toyota Venza salon car, marked: ABC 565 GN.
Our Correspondent, who witnessed the robbery scene, observed that the robbery suspects, who operated in a tinted Toyota Camry car with registration number JJN 137 *** had around 4:35pm intercepted their victim right in front of the FATGBEMS Petroleum Filling Station at Oke-Sokori, where they forcefully halted the victim’s car and forced the car’s trunk opened.
After gaining entry into his car, the suspects thereafter offloaded the two bags containing the foreign currency, uploaded same into their car and also zoomed off with the victim’s car key before security operatives could arrived the scene.
Narrating his ordeals before the two police patrol teams that later arrived the scene 30 minutes after the robbery incident, the victim, whose name could not be ascertained as at the time of filing this report, was returning to his base after an unsuccessful banking transaction where he had gone to deposit the foreign currency.
During his narration, the Abeokuta-based Hausa trader told the police patrol team that he had earlier approached the Oke-Ilewo branch a commercial bank for the purpose of depositing the money, but was turned back on the premise that the banking hours had lapsed.
But while returning to his base, the dare-devil armed robbers struck.
Meanwhile, speaking to journalists on the incident, the Ogun State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Abimbola Oyeyemi, who confirmed the incident, told Nigeria Standard that operatives of the command were already on the trail of the criminals.
“It is quite unfortunate that the suspects had escaped the scene before our operatives would arrive at the scene. But I want to assure you that we will definitely get them and bring them to justice.
“The command had immediately upon receipt of information about the incident, sent signal across the state to ensure that the suspects are tracked down. All our technical units have been activated and for sure, we will get them.
“I, however, want to use this medium to assure the good people of Ogun State not to panic as there is no course for alarm; they should remain calm, go about their normal and routine businesses because our men will surely track down the suspects,” the PPRO stated.
