Posted by By JULIANA FRANCIS on
Policemen using a woman as a bait have trapped three robbers who plotted and snatched N1.7million from a businessman at the Agric Area of Lagos.
Policemen using a woman as a bait have trapped three robbers who plotted and snatched N1.7million from a businessman at the Agric Area of Lagos.
The suspects were identified as Ajike Igwe, Azuka Eze and Ebere. According to Igwe, he met the businessman through the man's apprentice, Ebere. Since then, he had been acting as middleman between the tycoon and importers. But Igwe got greedy and wanted a chunk of the man's millions. He planned with eight men and the businessman's million was snatched along Agric area of Okoko as Igwe was taking the man with his two apprentices to the company the man was supposed to transact business with.
Igwe told Daily Sun that he had almost forgotten the successful haul and gone to the East to facilitate his overseas travel arrangements when he received a mysterious call from a woman. 'She said she knew me. She begged me to come to Maza-Maza bus stop, that she desperately needed my assistance out of a terrible situation. I was not in Lagos, so I called and sent Azuka over. I heard it was there policemen arrested him. They later arrested me through him. Police used the phone call to get us."
Igwe said it was never his intention to conspire with the other suspects still at large to snatch the man's money. He claimed that it was Azuka, his best buddy, who convinced him to sup with the devil.
'I got to know the businessman through his apprentice, Ebere. If I see importers bringing in CD plates, I would call him to come and buy. I will later collect my commission. When Azuka told me that we should snatch his money during the next business deal, I discussed it with Ebere. He agreed when I told him that they would give us N600,000 from the money," explained Igwe.
Igwe who had only recently came to Lagos, which he heard was a place for making money, was in a haste to become rich. Azuka gave him the name of a man identified as ‘O .C', also a trader at the Alaba International market. ‘O.C' promised to get reliable men for the job and was also briefed on the exact place and time the businessman and Igwe would pass through. The operation went smoothly.
He said: 'The company we were heading to was at Agric bus stop. We used four motorbikes, the man with his two apprentices and myself. Each motorbike for a person. Before we got to the company, we got down because we had to trek the rest of the way. We got to the place those eight men were hiding. They jumped out, made a lot of threatening noises and collected the money from the man. I pretended to be scared and ran away. I later went to collect my share, which was N200, 000. We shared it at an open field close to Alaba."
For coming with such a brilliant idea of stealing the money and contracting ‘O.C', Azuka got N20, 000 from Igwe. Igwe suddenly developed travel fever. Azuka who had solution for every problem, told him he needed somebody to procure a visa for him.
Azuka told Daily Sun that the N20, 000 was just for contracting the man that would prepare visa for Igwe. He admitted bringing up the idea of snatching the money even though he denied going with them on the operation.
Daily Sun gathered that the businessman's first suspect after his frayed nerve had calmed down was his apprentice, Ebere. He sold his suspicion to the police, who quickly grabbed Ebere. Under the heat of interrogation, Ebere squealed. The phone call from the girl was used as a bait to smoke out Igwe and Azuka and they came running into the waiting police net.
Azuka said: 'I was the man that took him to the man preparing the visa. The man charged him N240, 000. He gave the man N150, 000 and left for the East. He called me from there that I should go and meet a girl at Maza Maza. He said the girl will give me some money to give to the man preparing visa. I went and police got me. I took them to the visa man who called Igwe."
Joyful that his visa plan was almost through, Igwe was said to have high-tailed back to Lagos and straight to the visa office, smack into the waiting arms of detectives.