It seems the gang of robbers that unleashed havoc in Ipakodo, Ebute-Ogolonto, Ikorodu area of Lagos State few days ago, robbing two banks simultaneously before carting away over N80 million, was the same gang that raided the First City Monument Bank (FCMB) in highbrow Lekki Penninsula, earlier this year.
In the Lekki robbery, however, about five policemen and a teenage fish hawker lost their lives while there was no loss of lives in the Ikorodu raid.
Around May this year, a gang of robbers also attacked two banks in the Ijede area of Ikorodu, operating in almost the same pattern and escaping by speedboats.
But according to a police source, the similarity in the attacks means that it is the same gang that carries out the operations.
The source said:
“The force is convinced that the robbers who raided the Ikorodu banks on Wednesday were part of the same gang which raided two banks at the Ijede area of Ikorodu three weeks ago.
It was the same gang which stormed the First City Monument Bank (FCMB) on Admiralty Way at Lekki area on March 12. In that operation, the robbers killed three policemen and a girl hawking fish.
The gang’s modus operandi had always been to sneak into targeted areas via water, use explosives to blast open bank doors and vaults and to escape through water, using speedboats.”
Few weeks after the Lekki robbery, the police said they have arrested four members of the gang including Duke Odogbo, Lawrence Kingsley, Ebi Tosan, and Ekelemo Kuete.
The police source added that after the arrest of the Odogbo who was alleged to be the leader of the gang, they regrouped and appointed a new leader who has been coordinating its operations.
“From what has been gathered from Odogbo who is still in police custody, it is the gang that went for the Ijede and Wednesday bank robberies at Ikorodu. When Odogbo was arrested, other gang members were not arrested. The gang regrouped and is behind the Ijede and Ogolonto bank robberies.”
