New intriguing bank robbery technology in Akure
IT would have been disastrous if not for the ingenuity and dexterity
of some crack detectives in the Ondo state police command. The
detectives foiled a plan by some robbers who dug a tunnel into the
premises of one of the old generation banks in Akure, the Ondo State
capital with the intention to bomb and subsequently rob the bank located
along Ado/ Owo road.
 |
Robbers-tunnel
|
Observers said if the plan had succeeded, the perpetrators would
have hit a life time jackpot as it would have passed as the biggest
robbery incident in the state. The tunnel, according to Police sources,
could contain three persons at a time. Consequent upon the foiling of
the plan no fewer than 15 suspects have been quizzed by detectives.
Those quizzed include farmers and construction workers within the
vicinity of the bank. It was gathered that detectives after the
discovery of the tunnel rounded up the suspects and whisked them to the
police command for questioning, The state Police authorities confirmed
that some person have been invited for interrogation.
Spokesman of the Command, Femi Joseph, said those invited were not
arrested but were called to help in the investigation as regards the
foiled robbery attempt. Joseph assured that the Police Command would
apprehend the perpetrators soon. Meanwhile, reports had it that
following last week’s discovery, banks across the state have stepped up
their security and have reportedly given quit notices to shop owners
and removed barriers within meters to the bank’s buildings.
Also, a visit to some banks in the Akure metropolis showed that some
their security guards now monitor the surroundings of the banks instead
of the usual concentration on the main entrance of the banks. Some
security guards were even seen manning strategic positions around the
bank buildings and car parks.
The weekend discovery was said to have sent jitters down the spines
of management of banks in the state. The managers of banks in the state
reportedly held an emergency meeting where some security hints from the
state Police authorities were deliberated upon to guard against being
caught napping by the hoodlums.
Vanguard gathered that the introduction of this new trend by men of
the underworld shocked the bankers. Meanwhile, the bank surveillance
squad who discovered the tunnel were reportedly tipped off by some
informants who noticed strange movement of people on the footpath
leading to a farm behind the bank.
Vanguard also gathered that the perpetrators did the digging at
weekends (Saturdays and Sundays) when traffic in the area was thin and
there would not be any banking activities.
Following the tip off, the surveillance squad reportedly laid an
ambush on the perpetrators but after a week and they failed to show up,
the police authorities informed the bank management before going public
on its findings. Police source said that the perpetrators may have been
informed by their collaborators within the bank or any of those been
quizzed by the police.
The source was certain that there was an inside collaborator hence
the reason the culprits absconded when detectives laid ambush for
them. A top police source said that it would have been a matter of days
before the robbers blow up the bank if the tunnel had not been
discovered by the police detectives.
According to him; “After another digging for 48hour s, the robbers
would have gotten to the banking hall and blow it open and walk straight
to the vault which will also be blown open. “ While this is happening
the bank security operatives would still be busy keeping watch over the
bank from the front entrance not aware of happenings at the back of the
fence.
“ They would have escaped the same way they came if the tunnel was
not discovered by the surveillance squad . Vanguard learnt from a top
security source that the perpetrators only needed to dig the tunnel
which is about 15 meters already for another two days for them to get to
the banking hall
Giving the blow by blow account of how the state police command
foiled the robbery attempt, the State Police Commissioner, Mike Ogbodu,
said that the tunnel was discovered by his detectives around 9.30am on
the 14th of October. “ Our bank surveillance squad discovered a long
tunnel dug by suspected armed robbers behind the Ado/ Owo road branch of
the United Bank for Africa (UBA).
“The length of the tunnel dug from the perimeter fence of the bank
into the premises was about 10 to 15 meters. “ The tunnel was apparently
prepared to serve as a passage to the bank premises to carry out their
nefarious acts without being noticed. “Shovel, diggers and other tools
used for the digging were recovered from the scene.
“This is a new trend being employed by men of the underworld these
days,” he disclosed Ogbodu has however advised bank management to be
conscious of the happenings in their environment and also to endeavour
to always remove any barrier that could serve as cover for criminals.
Dependable Police source informed Vanguard that the gang
that planned the robbery would have operated at the weekend when bankers
would not be at work. Sources said that the bankers would have resumed
one morning to discover that the banks vault have been blown off and all
the money carted away. Meanwhile, two members of a syndicate that
specializes in stealing vehicle brain boxes have been arrested with over
70 brain boxes.
South West Voice learnt that one Abdulahi Matt of Kirikiri road,
Masamasa, mile 2, Lagos state was arrested with 30 vehicle brain boxes
and 30 vehicle glass control gadgets from where they were parked. The
Police Commissioner, Ogbodu, said that the suspects mentioned one
Emmanuel Ezekwe at Ladipo Spare Parts, Market, Mushin Lagos state, as
the receiver of the stolen goods.
Ogbodu added that; “Over 70 vehicle brain boxes were recovered from
him. In another development, a six man armed robbery gang have been
arrested for hijacking a truck loaded with biscuits. The truck which was
coming from Lagos was snatched by the hoodlums and driven to an unknown
destination. Acting on tip off the stolen goods were traced to Ore town
in Ondo state where they were about to be sold.
Consequently two suspects Celestine Okafor and Arinze Orji were
arrested and they led detectives to the hideouts of other members of the
gang. Others picked up include Uche Sunday, Chibueze Waribe, Obi
Ikechukwu and Kolawole Ipindemi. The truck according to the Police
Commissioner was also recovered with the the loot.
