Detectives attached to Igando Police Station on Iba Road, Lagos State have arrested two men who allegedly just arrived from Niger Delta via waterway to carry out a bank robbery. The suspects, identified as Chinedu Okoro and Keme Patrick, were apprehended on Tuesday.
The suspects were arrested after their motorcycle was flagged down by policemen who were on routine patrol duty. Two other motorcycles, carrying about two passengers, refused to obey the policemen and disappeared. Preliminary investigations showed that Okoro is just a hired motorcycle rider while Patrick just arrived from Delta State, with others now at large, to carry out a bank robbery.
The bank robbery is supposed to take place at Abule- Egba tomorrow (Friday). The suspect, who claimed to be a cousin of former leader of the Niger Delta militant, Ateke Tom, said he was also a former militant. Fielding questions from detectives at Igando division, Patrick said that he only knew the name of the area, but not the particular bank they would be attacking.
He confessed to have taken part in the
FESTAC town robbery, where dynamites were used to blow up banks before robbers in military uniform entered the banks and carted away millions of naira. A mother and her child were killed by the robbers’ stray bullets.
A police source said:
“On Tuesday, about 6a.m, policemen from Igando Police Station were on ‘Stop-and- Search’ duty when they sighted three motorcycles. Two of the motorcycles had two passengers and golf bags. The police flagged down them down, but two refused to stop. The policemen were able to arrest the motorcycle which was in the middle.
“The golf bag was searched. One AK49 rifle, 81 rounds of ammunition and six magazines, two mobile policemen uniforms, two mobile police caps, two military belts and one camouflage uniform were found inside the bag.”
The source explained that the suspects were taken to Igando Police Station, where Patrick confessed that Okoro was just a chartered motorcyclist.