A four-man armed robbery gang ‘successfully’ escaped with $11 million on Friday afternoon in Abeokuta’s Oke-Sokori, in Ogun State’s Abeokuta North local government area.
The four-man robbery gang, all clad in black T-shirts and jean trousers, wore black facemasks, and brandished riffles in an operation that lasted about 3 minutes.
The suspects, however, escaped the scene with their targeted money, stacked in two ‘Ghana-Must-Go’ bags, after demobilizing the car of their victim, a Hausa trader, who rode the area in a Toyota Venza salon car, marked, (ABUJA) ABC 565 GN.
An eyewitness, who was at the robbery scene, observed that the robbery suspects, who operated in a tinted Toyota Camry ‘Muscle’, had at around 4: 35p.m on Friday afternoon, intercepted their victim right in front of the FATGBEMS Petroleum Filling Station at Oke – Sokori, where they forcefully halted the victim’s Toyota Venza car and forced the car’s boot open.
After gaining entry into his car, the suspects thereafter offloaded the two bags containing the foreign currency into their car and also zoomed off with the victim’s car key before security operatives arrived.
Narrating his ordeal to the two police patrol teams that later arrived at the scene about 30 minutes after the robbery incident, the victim, said he was returning to his base after an unsuccessful banking attempt where he had gone to deposit the foreign currency.
In his narration, the Abeokuta-based Hausa trader told the police patrol team that he had earlier approached the Oke-Ilewo branch of a new generation 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 robbers struck and the trader fell victim.
Confirming the incident, the command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Abimbola Oyeyemi, said 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 arrived 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 a 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 want to use this medium to assure the good people of Ogun State that they should not panic, saying that there is no course for alarm. They should remain calm, and go about their normal and routine businesses because our men will surely track down the suspects”.