.Prime target loses N2m to the gang
By Ummi Ismaeel, Minna
Barely a month after armed robbers attacked and robbed two banks in Lapai, which allegedly led to the deployment of the commissioner of police and the DPO, another group of dare devil robbers armed with sophisticated weapons in the early hours of Thursday raided Thaza community in Suleja town.
The criminals, said to have operated without interruptions for about two hours, were said to be about 30 in number.
Residents said that the robbers took time to rob the entire area after using the three buses they had come with to block all the entry and exit points to the sleeping community.
House after house the robbers forcefully dispossessed their victims of their belongings, including cash and mobile phones. It was also gathered that while their operation lasted one of the security agencies which had its station nearby watched helplessly as it could not save the victims.
Although no life was lost, our correspondent gathered that at the end of the incident the robbers were said to have escaped with cash said to be running into several millions of Naira and other valuables they got from their victims.
Meanwhile, some victims had been admitted at the Suleja General Hospital for, ‘shock’ but are recuperating.’ One of the victims, Saidu Abu, recalled how he lost about N2 million cash and properties to the robbers whom he also said manhandled some members of his family.
Abu, a trader whom the robbers may have trailed to the area, said he could not go to the bank on Wednesday, a day before the ugly incident because of large number of customers in the only bank within the vicinity.
According to Saidu, who however, said he was thankful to Allah for saving him from the criminals, recalled: “The armed robbers had threatened that unless I give them money they would kill me and my entire family members”.
Other victims were said to be at the Area Commanders’ office in the town writing statements as requested by the police while the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Peter Sunday, confirmed the incident through phone calls.
He said that he was yet to receive details of the attack.