I Went Into Armed Robbery To Feed My Baby, Pay School Fees – Nursing Mother

A 32-year-old nursing mother, who was caught
for alleged armed robbery in Lagos, has blamed
her plight on the huge financial burden on her.
According to the Lebanese woman, who
identified herself as Amira Abudallahi, “my
financial responsibility and the economic situation
of the country led me into armed robbery”. “I
have five kids but I am divorced. I just had
a baby. The baby is six months old now.
Since I started working with the gang, I
have made over N12 million. I used part of
it to buy a car and the other to pay my
children’s school fees,” she said after being
paraded by the Lagos State Police Command.
“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 future. I believe no one is above
mistake and I believe God will grant me
the grace.
“ What I did was wrong, but nobody is
above mistake. It was my financial
responsibility and the economic situation of
the country that led me into the gang. I live
in Lekki. What I do for the gang is that I talk
with prospective victims on the phone.
Senator gives me the number, tells me
what to say and then I call the victim. I
have not built any house; I still live in a
rented two-bedroom apartment in Lekki”.
Amira was alleged to be a member of a six-man
armed robbery gang which specialised in
impersonating operatives of EFCC to rob bureau
de change operators in Abuja and Lagos.
Other suspects are Princewill Eze, aka Senator
Nwobodo, 55; Daniel Okpara, 30; Paul Irior, 37; Ba
$$ey Williams Ekpenyong, 39; and Royal
Nwabuike, 32. They were arrested in Lagos,
Ogun, and Abuja respectively.
Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Kayode
Aderanti, while parading the suspects, said that,
on February 25, at about 5pm, he received
information about a gang of armed robbers using
the EFCC uniform and handcuffs to rob bureau de
change operators in Abuja and Lagos of dollars,
pounds sterling and Euro.
Aderanti subsequently asked the state Anti-
Robbery Squad (SARS) commander, Abba Kyari,
to launch a manhunt. The manhunt paid off as
detectives tracked and arrested the suspected
gang leader, Senator Nwobodo, in Ajah on
February 27, at about 4pm. His alleged
confession led to the arrest of Amira and other
members of the gang.
Sunday Vanguard learnt that detectives also
recovered 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, a Toyota Highlander jeep ash
colour with registration number, No LSR 110 DB,
a Toyota Highlander jeep maroon colour with
registration number No LSR 671 DK, a Toyota
Sienna 2012 model, with registration number
JJ424CQ, a Toyota Four runner with registration
number KRD 449 DG, one Toyota Carmy saloon
car unregistered, four million naira cash and
13,000 US dollars cash.
The suspects were said to have a complete set of
communication system of the police inside a
vehicle which allowed them to intercept police
communications. They also reportedly had police
escort vehicles, police walkie talkie, EFCC vest
used impersonate the anti-graft agencies officials.
Suspects account
Confessing to the crime, Eze said, “I didn’t recruit
anyone of them into the gang; they all joined the
gang on their own freewill because they are all
adults. I am from Ikanu lGA, Enugu state. I am
married with five children. I was into hospitality
business before I ventured into robbery. The
senator name is an appellation. I did not hold a
political position. I live in a rented apartment at
VGC. I did not own the house. Some of my
daughters are in school abroad.
“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”.
Another member of the gang, a dismissed police
officer, Paul Irior, said: “We were not using 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 policeman. I would wear uniform
and pose with the fake EFCC officials. Any time
they had a deal, they invited me. Sometimes, I
got a million per operation.
“They would bring the money to us in
convenient places like hotels and banks. I also run
a hotel. It is about five years now that we started
the deals. I was arrested by the police four years
ago for a similar issue, but secured bail by the
court.
Lagos State Police Command spokesman, Ken
Nwosu, said efforts were on to arrest the only
gang member still at large.