How Banker Organised Abuja Bank Robbery

The Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, CP Bala Ciroma on Tuesday paraded a banker, Larry Ehizo who led four other armed robbers to raid his bank in Abuja last Saturday.

The 30 year old led the gang of 24 year old Princewill Obinna, 21 years old Timothy Joe and 19 years old Elijah David who were paraded by the police on Tuesday.

Another gang member Mr. Ernest alleged to be a ringleader escaped with gun wound during the robbery while another robber, Patrick was killed during the operation.

Parading the suspects, CP Ciroma said, “Following the Police arrest of four dare devil armed robbery suspects during a failed attempt to rob a bank at Mpape on Saturday, 28 December, 2019, the FCT Police Command commenced discreet investigation that has so far led to the recovery of 3 additional locally fabricated pistols and some dangerous weapons from the hideouts of the suspects”..

“Further details also emerged on how the operation was planned. It is important to state that one Larry Ehizo 30 years, a staff of the bank, has been arrested as the mastermind of the robbery operation. Other suspects are Prince will Obinna, Timothy Joe, and Elijah David.

“Recovered from the robbers were 4 locally made pistols, one Peugeot 206 with registration no SBG 752 FP,  2 cutlasses, 2 daggers, one plier, Infinix note phone and one saw blade.

Ehizo, the banker, however, disclosed that he was intimidated and blackmailed into the operation by his fellow suspects. He said that he was well paid and had no reason to rob but that he was threatened with the life of his family.

“I am comfortable by the grace of God. I am well paid. I work in the Customer Service Department. I have a car. I don’t need to steal. But they came with guns and threatened my family, so I had to cooperate”, he said.

One of the robbers, David said that Ehizo administered an oath of secrecy upon them before the operation and promised to keep the door open for them and to disable the CCTV.

“So, Larry and Obinna later went upstairs with a pair of pliers to disconnect the CCTV. On our way out, Larry suddenly shouted, ‘Ah, the MOPOL has escaped’; then, I ran inside and all of us scattered. I didn’t know what to do. Then the police began firing teargas into the premises.”

Observing what he did when he saw that security men had surrounded them, he said:

“I decided to untie the other bank workers because the teargas could kill them. I apologised to them. When we came out, we saw a lot of policemen and soldiers; they pointed guns at us and asked who arranged the robbery, then Mr Larry pointed at an innocent man, but I said it was Larry,” he stated.

Obinna on his part said that on Christmas Eve Ernest told him about “a bank job” and that they had gotten the collaboration of a bank staff, Ehizo.

“Mr Larry told us there that there was a deal he wanted us to execute and that it would not take more than 10 to 15 minutes.

“He said the bank would not operate on Saturdays and that if we could come around, he would help us to get the money out.

“We discussed how to walk in there when the security personnel would be unavailable and other things. So, on Friday, we organised ourselves and on Saturday, we carried out the operation.”

“Patrick said he would stay by the gate, because he is taller than all of us and he has power to fight,” Obinna stated.

Ehizo, however, denied culpability saying that he was blackmailed by Ernest.

“Ernest is a customer of the bank and that is where we got to know each other, because I work in the customer service unit of the bank. There is a place I used to drink, that’s where he works as a barman.

“He told me to tell the gang members how to get inside, show them where the CCTV was and that I should show them where the police officer on duty would be. When we drove into the bank, he even called me, because he was across the bank. He said I should just do as agreed and out of fear, I said yes.”

Send Us A Press Statement Advertise With Us Contact Us

 And For More Nigerian News Visit GWG.NG