Police Confirm Ibadan Robbery Incident
The Oyo State Police Command has confirmed a robbery incident, in the early hours of today, during which no fewer than 20 robbers dispossessed residents of Alaafia Estate in Orogun area of Ibadan of valuables and cash running into millions of naira.
The daredevil armed robbers reportedly stormed the area with POS machines at about 11pm on Sunday and operated till around 2am, on Monday, injured six people and made away with laptops, phones and cash belonging to their victims.
The robbers were reported to have their made first appearance at the Alaafia Estate about two weeks ago when they allegedly robbed a Superintendent of Police and occupants of three other flats in the estate.
Shattering the peace of the night, the robbery gang were said to have mobilised more members for a more deadly robbery, on Sunday night,and succeeded in carting away money, laptops, mobile phones and ATM cards of their victims after obtaining their Personal Identification Numbers (PIN).
The robbers reportedly gained entry into the estate through the canal that was recently dredged linking Barika, Agbowo, and Orogun.
Armed with machete, guns and other dangerous weapons, the daredevil robbers were said to have divided themselves into groups and robbed concurrently in House numbers 33, 31 and 25, among others.
It was gathered that no fewer than 20 families were direct victims of the robbers with one Peter in House 33 sustaining machete cuts on his left hand, while the wife was said to have been beaten with machete.
The robbers forcefully gained entrance into their victims’ apartments, moving boastfully and daring the residents to come out if they were up to the task.
The report has it that at House 31, where at least 12 flats were robbed, as the robbers forced their victims to use the POS which they brought but due to network failure in the course of the transfer, they obtained the PIN and went away with the ATMs of their victims.
At House 25, the robbers were said to have accused some residents of having peeped through the window to look at during their last operation in the estate.
As a punishment for the occupants of House 25, the doors of their flats and property were badly destroyed, just as the robbers threatened to unleash terror on them as they battle to break the security.
A resident said: “As they battle to break into the house, one of them was telling the new ones they recruited to join them this time around that somebody was peeping through the window from the house. They said we would see hell if they break into the house if we don’t willingly open the door.”
Some officers and men of the Ojoo Police Division, said to have mobilised to the estate, blew siren and released gunshots as they made their way to the scene of the robbery incident in the estate.
Another resident said the robbers, on earing the gunshots, shouted and alerted themselves that “big daddy (police) are here. won ti mbo, e ja ke lo.”
Four machetes and a locally-made pistol at and around the scene of the robbery by the police.
Narrating their ordeal, one of the victims who pleaded anonymity said: “When they came, they jumped into our house and shot into the air. They started saying awon daa, wey money? They entered around 12:45 and left around 1:45am for other buildings.”
Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Adewale Osifeso, told Newscoven.ng that a distress call was received in the early of today from residents of Alaafia Estate.
“In response to a distress call received on the early hours of Monday, 31/05/2021 at about 0300hrs by residents of Alaafia Estate, Ojoo area of Ibadan, a team of operational and intelligence assets were swiftly deployed to the area.
“On sighting the police, the hoodlums fled the scene after they were thoroughly resisted. In the process, a pistol was recovered along with 3 (three) cutlasses and a bag containing both male undergarments and SIM cards.
“Efforts are actively ongoing to apprehend the culprits and as well crack down their criminal chain,” the Oyo State police image-maker stated in a short WhatsApp message.
