How armed robbers target estates
by PATIENCE OGBO on
When
Ada Johnson (not real name) was looking for an apartment to rent in
Lagos state; she was particular about getting a befitting and secured
place in one of the numerous estates in the state.
Aside her desire to rent an apartment close to her place of work at Ajah area of the state, Ada was also deeply concerned about security and therefore felt that a secured, serene estate with gigantic gates and uniformed security personnel manning the gates would keep any intruder at bay.
Ada had barely moved into her dream apartment at the Ikate Model Estate at Elegushi in October 2014 when two suspected armed robbers broke into her home and made away with property worth millions of naira and hard currencies.
Ada who lived alone with her gate man had gone to work that fateful morning in December 2014 like any other day but few hours later, her gate man called her to come back as her home has been burgled.
Ada said she rushed home and to her greatest shock she discovered that her property which include Plasma Television, Home theatre, laptops, hard currencies , wristwatches , jewelries, clothes and other home hold goods had been carted way.
Narrating her ordeal, she said “That fateful morning, I left for work about 7.30am but about 10am, my security man called me that there was problem at home. I rushed back and to my greatest shock, I found out that my house had been burgled. My Plasma TV, Home theater, laptop, wrist watches, clothes, and other jewelries were carted away.
Some of my house holds property and hard currencies too were stolen. I was still in shock as I looked round the house. I told myself “but this is the same house I left this morning?” “How it is that barely some few hours, the robbers can cart away my property” I was in that state of thinking when I noticed that the key of my gate was not broken.
It means that the thieves entered the house without any resistance. It means the gate to the house was opened for them to do what they did. What about my estate gate? I was sure they packed the property in a van so how is it that the security men at the estate gate did not see them? I was in that confused state and was very scared because the armed robbers know my movement.
I went to the police and reported the incident and the case was later transferred to the Special Anti- Robbery Squad Ikeja for further investigation. My gateman was arrested and quizzed but he denied knowing anything about the robbery. I was so scared that I relocated from the house.
I hurriedly took my leave from my office and I left the country because the entire incident was very frightening and I didn’t know if those men from the underworld were trailing me “While Ada is alive to relive her ordeal, other Lagos residents residing in estate have lost their lives from deadly robbery attacks while living in estates they felt was supposed to be safe and secured.
One resident in Lagos state who was killed in such attacks was Bar. Kunle Fadipe. Barrister Fadipe was a former member of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and a member of the Editorial Board of the Guardian Newspaper in Lagos. According to police reports, the suspected armed robbers attacked Mr. Fadipe in his room at Harmony Estate, College Road, Ogba, Lagos.
Reports said the suspected robber stabbed the deceased’s man’s son, Folarin, while he went outside the apartment to switch off the generating set. The lone robber held Folarin hostage and force the lad to take him upstairs to see his parents.
A police source said “The suspected armed robber gained access into the home by scaling the fence and hide himself in the premises before coming out in the dead of the night to attack Folarin who had opened the door to switch off the generator.
The police source said further stated that “The robber demanded the sum of N500, 000 from Bar. Fadipe but he did not have such amount at home and he offered him a lower amount and any other personal effects including the mobile phones.
The robber however succeeded stabbing Fadipe on the left side of the neck as well as the left side of the armpit, and the stomach. He lost a lot of blood and died but the police arrested and took the suspect to the Olowosokedile Police Station”.
While armed robbers usually use the cover of the night to perpetrate their crime, others are however daring as they attack their victims during the day like the experience of Ada.
Investigations further reveals that residents residing in estate are falling victims to armed robbers who have made it a habit of monitoring the residents and attacking them in the dead of the night. This was the case also in December 2014 when suspected armed robbers raided about five houses at the Ogunrobi Estate in Idimu Lagos.
This time the armed robbers targeted a mother of three and almost raped her but she was lucky as they changed their minds and instead made away with her cash. Narrating the incident the woman who requested anonymity said “I cameback from office very tired.
I rent chairs and canopies and I am intoevent planning and you know that December is our peak business season. So that day I was tired and I went to sleep. About 1.00am, I went out to put off the generator but to my shock, I saw a man in my bedroom.
I was alone in the room because my husband had travelled to Abuja. When I sighted the man, I was scared and I almost shouted but he told me to keep quiet or he will shoot me with the gun he was carrying. Before I knew it, he opened the door and three other men came into my house.
The robber told me that he has been hiding in my room since noon and they know my movement and that I did some businesses which brought in good cash. The men ordered me to bring out the money but I told them that I do not have money at home. They became very angry and said since I am lying, they are going to take turns to rape me.
They had almost succeeded when I pleaded with them that I am asthmatic and I pointed my drugs to them. I told them I have N20, 000 to give them which was the money I made from the rentals that day.
They angrily took the money and went away. I am very glad that God intervened and touched their hearts. What would have happened if they had raped me? I learnt that they went to three other houses in the estate that day and they raided families.
One particular woman whose husband was not at home saw hell in the hands of the robbers as they locked her and her children up in the toilet and stole their money and other house hold items”
A resident in the estate who simply identified himself as Richard Nelson said the armed robbers take advantage of the serene environment in the estate to commit crime. “ Well you know that it normally feels that the estate should be safer because of the gates and other security measures put in place but the armed robbers are taking advantage of this serenity to commit crime in estate.
They can come during the day when nobody is around to monitor the houses they want to attack and even hide there. They can get information from the security men about whom and who is living there and their wealth. What they usually do is to get into the houses and wait for the target.
They usually strike when residents come out to switch on or off their generating sets so you can see that they are well organized and they take advantage of the serenity of the estate” Another tactics used by armed robbers is monitoring people attending vigil and attacking them when they are returning home. This was the case recently when suspected armed robbers stormed the Beckley estate at Abule-Egba area of the state.
The armed robbers numbering eight stormed the home of a resident who requested anonymity and almost killed her and her children. Narrating her ordeal in the hands of the armed robbers, the woman in her 60’s said. “I just returned from church vigil on that Friday. We usually leave the gate unlocked but visitors do not know this.
But after I returned home I went to the back of my house to check my fishes but I felt somebody was behind me. The person picked a knife and as I turned he held a gun to my fore head but God helped me I did not panic. He told me to lead him to my bedroom.
Aside her desire to rent an apartment close to her place of work at Ajah area of the state, Ada was also deeply concerned about security and therefore felt that a secured, serene estate with gigantic gates and uniformed security personnel manning the gates would keep any intruder at bay.
Ada had barely moved into her dream apartment at the Ikate Model Estate at Elegushi in October 2014 when two suspected armed robbers broke into her home and made away with property worth millions of naira and hard currencies.
Ada who lived alone with her gate man had gone to work that fateful morning in December 2014 like any other day but few hours later, her gate man called her to come back as her home has been burgled.
Ada said she rushed home and to her greatest shock she discovered that her property which include Plasma Television, Home theatre, laptops, hard currencies , wristwatches , jewelries, clothes and other home hold goods had been carted way.
Narrating her ordeal, she said “That fateful morning, I left for work about 7.30am but about 10am, my security man called me that there was problem at home. I rushed back and to my greatest shock, I found out that my house had been burgled. My Plasma TV, Home theater, laptop, wrist watches, clothes, and other jewelries were carted away.
Some of my house holds property and hard currencies too were stolen. I was still in shock as I looked round the house. I told myself “but this is the same house I left this morning?” “How it is that barely some few hours, the robbers can cart away my property” I was in that state of thinking when I noticed that the key of my gate was not broken.
It means that the thieves entered the house without any resistance. It means the gate to the house was opened for them to do what they did. What about my estate gate? I was sure they packed the property in a van so how is it that the security men at the estate gate did not see them? I was in that confused state and was very scared because the armed robbers know my movement.
I went to the police and reported the incident and the case was later transferred to the Special Anti- Robbery Squad Ikeja for further investigation. My gateman was arrested and quizzed but he denied knowing anything about the robbery. I was so scared that I relocated from the house.
I hurriedly took my leave from my office and I left the country because the entire incident was very frightening and I didn’t know if those men from the underworld were trailing me “While Ada is alive to relive her ordeal, other Lagos residents residing in estate have lost their lives from deadly robbery attacks while living in estates they felt was supposed to be safe and secured.
One resident in Lagos state who was killed in such attacks was Bar. Kunle Fadipe. Barrister Fadipe was a former member of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and a member of the Editorial Board of the Guardian Newspaper in Lagos. According to police reports, the suspected armed robbers attacked Mr. Fadipe in his room at Harmony Estate, College Road, Ogba, Lagos.
Reports said the suspected robber stabbed the deceased’s man’s son, Folarin, while he went outside the apartment to switch off the generating set. The lone robber held Folarin hostage and force the lad to take him upstairs to see his parents.
A police source said “The suspected armed robber gained access into the home by scaling the fence and hide himself in the premises before coming out in the dead of the night to attack Folarin who had opened the door to switch off the generator.
The police source said further stated that “The robber demanded the sum of N500, 000 from Bar. Fadipe but he did not have such amount at home and he offered him a lower amount and any other personal effects including the mobile phones.
The robber however succeeded stabbing Fadipe on the left side of the neck as well as the left side of the armpit, and the stomach. He lost a lot of blood and died but the police arrested and took the suspect to the Olowosokedile Police Station”.
While armed robbers usually use the cover of the night to perpetrate their crime, others are however daring as they attack their victims during the day like the experience of Ada.
Investigations further reveals that residents residing in estate are falling victims to armed robbers who have made it a habit of monitoring the residents and attacking them in the dead of the night. This was the case also in December 2014 when suspected armed robbers raided about five houses at the Ogunrobi Estate in Idimu Lagos.
This time the armed robbers targeted a mother of three and almost raped her but she was lucky as they changed their minds and instead made away with her cash. Narrating the incident the woman who requested anonymity said “I cameback from office very tired.
I rent chairs and canopies and I am intoevent planning and you know that December is our peak business season. So that day I was tired and I went to sleep. About 1.00am, I went out to put off the generator but to my shock, I saw a man in my bedroom.
I was alone in the room because my husband had travelled to Abuja. When I sighted the man, I was scared and I almost shouted but he told me to keep quiet or he will shoot me with the gun he was carrying. Before I knew it, he opened the door and three other men came into my house.
The robber told me that he has been hiding in my room since noon and they know my movement and that I did some businesses which brought in good cash. The men ordered me to bring out the money but I told them that I do not have money at home. They became very angry and said since I am lying, they are going to take turns to rape me.
They had almost succeeded when I pleaded with them that I am asthmatic and I pointed my drugs to them. I told them I have N20, 000 to give them which was the money I made from the rentals that day.
They angrily took the money and went away. I am very glad that God intervened and touched their hearts. What would have happened if they had raped me? I learnt that they went to three other houses in the estate that day and they raided families.
One particular woman whose husband was not at home saw hell in the hands of the robbers as they locked her and her children up in the toilet and stole their money and other house hold items”
A resident in the estate who simply identified himself as Richard Nelson said the armed robbers take advantage of the serene environment in the estate to commit crime. “ Well you know that it normally feels that the estate should be safer because of the gates and other security measures put in place but the armed robbers are taking advantage of this serenity to commit crime in estate.
They can come during the day when nobody is around to monitor the houses they want to attack and even hide there. They can get information from the security men about whom and who is living there and their wealth. What they usually do is to get into the houses and wait for the target.
They usually strike when residents come out to switch on or off their generating sets so you can see that they are well organized and they take advantage of the serenity of the estate” Another tactics used by armed robbers is monitoring people attending vigil and attacking them when they are returning home. This was the case recently when suspected armed robbers stormed the Beckley estate at Abule-Egba area of the state.
The armed robbers numbering eight stormed the home of a resident who requested anonymity and almost killed her and her children. Narrating her ordeal in the hands of the armed robbers, the woman in her 60’s said. “I just returned from church vigil on that Friday. We usually leave the gate unlocked but visitors do not know this.
But after I returned home I went to the back of my house to check my fishes but I felt somebody was behind me. The person picked a knife and as I turned he held a gun to my fore head but God helped me I did not panic. He told me to lead him to my bedroom.
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