The
Lagos State Police Command has apprehended 11 armed robbery suspects including
five workers of Guaranty Trust Bank.
One
of the workers, a senior marketing executive of the bank’s branch in Gbagada,
is currently being interrogated by detectives at the state’s Special
Anti-Robbery Squad.
According
to reports , the senior marketing executive
allegedly conspired with two security personnel of the bank and two other staff
to perpetrate the robbery of a customer who was to deposit some money running
into millions of naira.
The
bank workers were said to have invited one Sadiq, believed by the police to be
a notorious armed robber in the state, who in turn invited six other members of
his gang.
The
gang allegedly procured guns in Lagos and ordered for more from Edo State.
The
robbery was foiled when policemen through intelligence report got information
of the planned robbery. The policemen stormed the bank premises incognito on
the day the robbery was to take place.
It
was learnt that one of the suspects had told the police that their weapons
including two pistols were already concealed in the bank’s Computer Central
Processing Unit with plans to use them on the day of the robbery.
The
robbers who pretended to be customers of the bank had dressed in suits while
Sadiq wore a kaftan. But they did not know that
plain-clothed policemen had cordoned off the area while some other policemen
were in the banking hall.
A
police source said, “The suspected robbers got more than what they expected
when detectives rounded them up and whisked them to the state police command
headquarters.”
One
of the suspects further confessed that the bank’s marketing executive gave them
money to procure the arms and ammunition.
The
Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Joseph Jaiyeoba, confirmed the arrest in a
telephone interview with our correspondent on Wednesday.
He,
however, said further investigations were still ongoing with a view of ensuring
that all those connected with the incident were arrested.
Jaiyeoba
said, “The employees of the bank that were arrested were actually four in
number. They planned with the security guard who then recruited armed robbers
for them.
“The
security guard’s job was to plant the guns inside the CPU of the computer so
that when the armed robbers came in, they would be able to enter as normal
customers.
“The
robbers planned to rob after closing hours when customers were no longer
allowed access into the banking hall. The commander, MOPOL 2, was able to get
wind of the plan and led his team to the bank.
“They
arrested the security guard who later confessed and gave his accomplices up.
Meanwhile, investigations are ongoing.”