SARS arrest Lebanese nursing mother over robbery
•Other gang members also in police net
The arrest of a suspected female robber Amira Abudallahi, 32, is one
rare case of women involvement in armed robbery. Amira who hails from
Lebanon is a divorcee and mother of five.
According to the police, Amira though a nursing mother of a six month
old baby, allegedly belonged to a gang arrested by operatives of the
Special Anti-robbery Squad attached to the Lagos State police command
for allegedly robbing bureau de change operators in Abuja and Lagos.
The police operatives recovered $13million cash from Amira’s gang
members. Other items recovered from them include exotic cars and cash in
both local and foreign currencies. Narrating how she got into
crime,Amira said. “I am an interior designer.
I just had a baby, my baby is six months old. I got into crime while I
was still pregnant. This is like a year but I became an active member
six months ago after I had my baby.
What I do for the gang is that I converse with prospective victims on
the phone. The leader of our gang known as Senator gave me the numbers
to call. He told me what to say and then I call the victim.

Cash and other eqipment recovered from the robber
“I have not built any house; I have made over N12 million since I
joined the gang. I used part of it to buy a car and the other to pay my
children’s school fees. I take care of my five kids alone since I am
divorced and my husband abandoned me. I still live in a rented
two-bedroom apartment in Lekki area in Lagos,” she said.
Amira who said she regretted her involvement in crime said she became
desperate to fend for her children and her business was not making
profits.
She said “I am not proud of myself neither am I proud of what has
happened, I just hope I can make a positive change on the society, I
pray God will give me the opportunity to do so in the future, I believe
no one is above mistake and I believe God will grant me grace.
“Like I said what I did was wrong nobody is above mistake, it was my
financial responsibility and the economic situation of the country that
led me into the gang”. The Lagos State Police commissioner of police,
Mr. Kayode Aderanti, said Amira belonged to a gang that specialised in
impersonating operatives of EFCC to rob bureau de change operator in
Abuja and Lagos state.
The CP gave the names of the suspects as Princewill Eze, aka senator
Nwobodo, 55; Amira Abudallahi, 32; Daniel Okpara, 30; Paul Irior, 37;
Bassey Williams Ekpenyong, 39; and Royal Nwabuike, 32, were arrested in
Lagos, Ogun, and Abuja respectively. CP Aderanti said Amira was arrested
following the confession of other members of the gang.
He said, “February 25, 2015 at about 5p.m., I received information
about a gang of armed robbers who use EFCC uniform, handcuffs to rob
bureau de change operators in Abuja and Lagos States of foreign
currencies including dollars pounds sterling and Euro.
“As soon as we got the information, I immediately directed the OC
Special Anti-Robbery Squad, (SARS)SP Abba Kyari to launch a massive
manhunt. The manhunt paid off as they detectives tracked and arrested
the kingpin, one Princewill Eze, aka senator Nwobodo, who lives in Ajah
on February 27, 2015 at about 4pm. His confession led to the arrest of a
female member of the gang, a Lebanese nationale, one Amira Abudallahi
and other members of the gang”.
According to the Lagos Police boss , “the suspects who were arrested
in Delta, Abuja, Ogun and Lagos states have all confessed to have
carried out several robberies in Lagos and Abuja.
Also during the follow up, One Bryco59 pistol with serial no 930945
with six rounds of 5.56mm live ammunition, single barrel pistol cut to
size with four live cartridges, Toyota highlander ash colour with
registration number, No LSR 110 DB, Toyota highlander Maroon colour with
registration number No LSR 671 DK, Toyota highlander ash colour with
registration number Toyota highlander jeep Maroon colour with
registration number No KTU380 DK, Toyota Sienna 2012 model, with
registration number JJ424CQ, Toyota Forerunner with registration number
KRD 449 DG, one Toyota Camry Saloon car unregistered four million naira
(N4,000,000) cash and thirteen thousand US dollars (S13,000) cash) have
been recovered”.

Fleet of cars seized from the gang.
Saturday Mirror learnt that one of the suspects, Corporal Bassey
Williams Ekpenyong is a dismissed police man who was charged to court by
SARS operatives for kidnapping in 2012. Other members of the gang
narrated how they got involved in crime. The suspected gang leader said,
“My name is Princewill Eze.
I am from Nkanu LGA in Enugu state. I am married with five children. I
was into hospitality business before I ventured into robbery. My gang
members know me as Senator. The senator name is an appellation.
I don’t hold a political position. I live in a rented apartment at
VGC. I do not own the house. Some of my daughters are in school abroad.
“I didn’t recruit anyone of them into the gang; they all joined the gang
on their own freewill because they are all adults. We have made about
N15m.
I have used the money to buy different property, but the police have
seized them all. I bought different vehicles too” Narrating their modus
operandi, the dismissed police corporal said, “We don’t use guns. I was
serving with CMS Mopol 2, Lagos. I built a house in Benin. I met the
senator in 2014. My role was to act as a policeman.
I wear uniforms and pose with my gang members who are fake EFCC
officials. Any time they have a deal, they invite me. Sometimes, I get a
million naira after an operation. “They usually pretend to be EFCC
official and we will tell the victims that we have cases against them.
“The victims would bring the money to us in convenient places like
hotels and banks so we can drop the borgus allegation against them. I
also run a hotel. I have been in this gang for about five years. I was
arrested by the police four years ago for a similar issue, but got bail
from court. “The police gadgets like the Walkie Talkie recovered from me
were obtained during the Anambra elections. I was not into politics,
but I was part of that election.” Another suspect Royal Nwabuike, said,
“I am 32 years old.
I went to Auchi Polytechnic, from there, I went to Delta State
University. Upon graduation I got a job as a real estate and property
manager in Onistha. Later the company closed down.
After the company closed down, I went to a marine school that enabled
me to work in the sea, unfortunately the company was sold to an Indian
who retrenched all the workers and we weren’t paid any gratuity.
“It was at this point my friend called Bassey introduced me to the
Senator who is the gang leader. Senator promised to help me secure
employment in a company. When I called senator he told me to meet him at
Eko Meridian hotel in Lagos where he lodged.
After explaining to him, he said he will get back to me the next day
but he didn’t. About three weeks later, he called me and asked me to
meet him in a secured location.
“When I got there, he asked me to enter his vehicle. He told me that
there was someone he wanted me to meet that will give me a large amount
of money. He said I should tell them that I am from EFCC. At the time,
we had not started using the EFCC vest. Senator is the one that told the
victims that they were from EFCC, and that they have charges of
corruption.
Most of the victims would prefer to settle rather than go to EFCC
office. I have gone to about seven operations I have made close to ten
million naira; I used part of the proceeds to buy a Forerunner, 2004
model, N2.4 million.
The remaining money is in my account and my wife’s account. I also
rented and furnished the house where I live in Lagos. I also built a
house in my village. I am married with a kid,” the suspect narrated.