Lagos woman loses N914k, police tell her ‘nothing significant will be done’ without a court order
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
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“In this case, the victim should approach her lawyer, who will in turn go to the police for a duplicate of her statement, which the police will readily provide.
“She will get a court order and from there other necessary steps will be taken. Without these, nothing significant will be done, except visiting the crime scene and other sorts of frontline investigations.”
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Lagos resident Olamide Azeez is seeking both police and public help to recover her N914,300 life savings stolen from her by robbers when she boarded a ‘once-chance’ vehicle in Ikosi, in the Ketu area of the metropolis.
She said immediately she entered the cab at Toll Gate Ikosi heading to work on Victoria Island around 6am on 29 September, the occupants beat her up and robbed her of her ATM card.
“They made away with my life savings – all N910,000; my iPhone XR, N4,300 cash, earrings, wristwatch, and Oraimo EarPods,” she recounted on Twitter, reported by The PUNCH.
Azeez said they withdrew the money at point-of-sale (PoS) terminals between 6.45am and 7am while holding her hostage. She provided contact details of the registered owner of the PoS.
“Those robbers slapped me twice before I gave them my PIN and they put Aboniki (balm) inside my eyes when they dropped me at Marwa Gardens, Alausa, around 7.20am.”
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Police hide under the law, do nothing
Azeez reported the incident at Alausa and Ikoyi police stations on 30 September but the police have done nothing about it since.
“I am traumatised, helpless, and I do not know what to do. Where do I start from? It took me years to save that much, and to see it wiped all at one go!
“Please come to my aid. Can the names on the PoS be tracked? Can I get my money back? Please help,” she cried out.
Lagos Police Public Relations Officer Benjamin Hundeyin told The PUNCH state laws do not allow the police to track people’s bank accounts without their consent.
“In this case,” he said, “the victim should approach her lawyer, who will in turn go to the police for a duplicate of her statement, which the police will readily provide.
“She will get a court order and from there other necessary steps will be taken. Without these, nothing significant will be done, except visiting the crime scene and other sorts of frontline investigations.”
