Some suspected armed robbers, now in police net, yesterday explained why they used to wear reflective vest of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to rob, steal and dupe unsuspecting Nigerians. The suspects are Princewill Eze, 55, Amira Abdallahi 32, Daniel Okpara, 30, Paul Irior, 37, Bassey Williams Ekpenyoung, 39, and Royal Nwabuike, 32.
They were arrested by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Ikeja, Lagos State. Eze is said to be the ring leader and goes by the alias, Senator Nwobodo. The suspect, a father of five, was said to have houses spread across the country, including a hostel in the Ambrose Alli University, Edo State. According to the police, he has been arrested several times for robbery, but always escapes conviction whenever he gets to court. The suspect goes about in a tinted car, fitted with a radio base, where police radio messages are intercepted.
The car also has siren which blares whenever Eze is moving. The only female in the gang, Abdallahi, born of a Lebanese father and an Edo State mother, said she had five children, with the youngest, just six months old. The suspect said she was an interior decorator, adding that she was deceived into joining the gang.
According to her, she later embraced it because of her love for money. She said: “I’ve only been with the gang for just six months and made about N10 million. Right now, I have no money in my account. Police have collected all.” The Commissioner of Police, Mr Kayode Aderanti, who paraded the suspects, said the gang used EFCC uniforms, handcuffs and guns to rob bureau de change operators in Abuja and Lagos State of foreign currencies. Recovered from the suspects are Bryco 59 pistol with serial no. 930945 with six rounds of 5.56mm live ammunition, single-barrelled pistol cut-to-size with four live cartridges, and three Toyota Highlander jeeps.
The first, an ash colour, is marked LSR11DB. The second is maroon colour marked LSR 671DK, another maroon colour marked KTU 380DK. The police also recovered a Toyota Sienna 2012 model, marked JJJ424CQ, Toyota 4 Runner, marked KRD 449DG, one unregistered Toyota Camry saloon car, N4 million cash and $13,000. According to Aderanti, all the suspects have houses spread throughout the country, adding that they also have different exotic cars.
He said: “Princewell built a hotel in Edo State, while other members built houses in Delta, Ogun and Lagos states. Effort is on to arrest the only gang member at large.” Recalling how they were arrested, Aderanti said that he acted promptly on credible information received from a source on February 25.
According to him, he immediately ordered the officer in charge of SARS, SP Abba Kyari, to launch a massive manhunt and round up the criminals. He said: “Kyari swiftly deployed cutting edge technological tools on ground and eventually tracked and arrested the kingpin, Princewell alias Senator Nwobodo, who lives at VGC, Ajah on February 27, 2015. “His confessions led to the arrest of a female Lebanese national and gang member, Amira, and others. We also discovered Irior is a dismissed police corporal, while Ekpenyong had once been charged by SARS for kidnapping in 2012.
They all confessed to several robberies within Lagos and Abuja.” Eze confessed that he had been in the crime for a long time, adding that he got his police radio and walkie-talkie because he was once involved in politics, while partnering with a politician, who was vying for governorship post back then in in Anambra State.
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