The Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, CP Bala Ciroma on Tuesday paraded a banker with First Bank Mpape, Larry Ehizo (Mastermind of the robbery) and three of the armed robbers arrested on Saturday, 28 December after a failed .attempt to rob the Abuja bank.
The gang members are 24 year old Princewill Obinna, 21 years old Timothy Joe and 19 years old Elijah David.
One Mr. Patrick was the gang member gunned down on the unfateful day by the police, while one Mr. Ernest who is said to be the gang leader, escaped with bullet wounds.
CP Ciroma said, “Following the Police arrest of four dare devil armed robbery suspects during a failed attempt to rob a bank at Mpape on Saturday, 28 December, 2019, the FCT Police Command commenced discreet investigation that has so far led to the recovery of 3 additional locally fabricated pistols and some dangerous weapons from the hideouts of the suspects”..
“” Further details also emerged on how the operation was planned. It is important to state that one Larry Ehizo 30years, a staff of the bank, has been arrested as the mastermind of the robbery operation. Other suspects are Prince will Obinna, Timothy Joe, and Elijah David.
Recovered from the robbers were 4 locally made pistols, one Peugeot 206 with registration no SBG 752 FP, 2 cutlasses, 2 daggers, one plier, infinix note phone and one saw blade.
Speaking during the parade, the banker, Larry Ehizo owned up to providing information to the robbers through their leader, one Ernest who he said escaped with bullet wound on the day of the robbery.
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Ehizo who said he has been with the bank for 2 years and some months, claimed that he was threatened into providing information to the robbery by Ernest who he met at a drinking bar in Mpape some weeks back.
He said one particular day, as they were drinking, they had a conversation and were discussing to to break into a bank and rob without being caught, by blocking the CCTV cameras and how to escape.
He said he didn’t know that he (Ehizo) was being recorded. A few days later, Ernest and others came to his house and told him they want to rob the bank where he is working and that he must cooperate or they will kill his mother since they know where his family lives. They also seized his phone.
“” I am comfortable by the grace of God. I am well paid. I work in the Customer Service Department. I have a car. I don’t need to steal. But they came with guns and threatened my family, so I had to cooperate”, he said.
He said that on the day of the robbery, Ernest, the leader of the called him and demanded the information about location of the CCTV Cameras and how they would overpower the security personnel and collect the keys.
He said when the gang members struck, they didn’t know that the Policeman would free himself and kill Patrick after which he raised alarm.
He then disclosed that Ernest was shot but he was able to escape arrest from security agencies and is still at large.
CP Ciroma also disclosed that 23 other suspects who were paraded we arrested for armed robbery, possession of firearms, burglary, one chance fraudsters, car snatching.
Items recovered from the various gangs include one AK 49 rifle, 5 cars، 7 locally made pistols, 2 live cartridges, 9 cutlasses, and 5 long knives
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