Posted on: 10:59 Thu, 10 Dec 2015



Detectives attached to Igando Police
Station on Iba Road, Lagos State
have arrested two men who allegedly
just arrived from Niger Delta via
waterway to carry out a bank
robbery.

The suspects, identified as Chinedu
Okoro and Keme Patrick, were
apprehended on Tuesday.

The suspects were arrested after
their motorcycle was flagged down
by policemen who were on routine
patrol duty.

Two other motorcycles, carrying
about two passengers, refused to
obey the policemen and disappeared.

Preliminary investigations showed
that Okoro is just a hired motorcycle
rider while Patrick just arrived from
Delta State, with others now at large,
to carry out bank robbery.

The bank robbery is supposed to take
place at Abule- Egba tomorrow
(Friday).

The suspect, who claimed to be a
cousin of former leader of the Niger
Delta militant, Ateke Tom, said he
was also a former militant.

Fielding questions from detectives at
Igando division, Patrick said that he
only knew the name of the area, but
not the particular bank they would
be attacking.

He confessed to have taken part in
the FESTAC town robbery, where
dynamites were used to blow up
banks before robbers in military
uniform entered the banks and
carted away millions of naira. A
mother and her child were killed by
the robbers’ stray bullets.

A police source said: “On Tuesday,
about 6a.m, policemen from Igando
Police Station were on ‘Stop-and-
Search’ duty when they sighted three
motorcycles.

Two of the motorcycles had two
passengers and golf bags. The police
flagged down them down, but two
refused to stop. The policemen were
able to arrest the motorcycle which
was in the middle.

“The golf bag was searched. One
AK49 rifle, 81 rounds of ammunition
and six magazines, two mobile
policemen uniforms, two mobile
police caps, two military belts and
one camouflage uniform were found
inside the bag.”

The source explained that the
suspects were taken to Igando Police
Station, where Patrick confessed that
Okoro was just a charted
motorcyclist.

During interrogation, Patrick said
that he was related to Ateke Tom.
“He said he was a former militant.

He said that he had been arrested
before and taken to SARS in Lagos.

He was charged to court by SARS, but
granted bail by the court three
months ago.

He said that they just arrived Lagos
State a few minutes before our men
arrested them,” the source said.

The source confirmed that Patrick
was earlier arrested for robbery but
got bail from the court because no
gun was found on him.

Patrick also told detectives that he
and other gang members were
supposed to meet at Abule-Egba to
fine tune the robbery which was
supposed to take place on Friday,
before they were arrested. According
to him, the three motorbikes were all
heading to Abule-Egba.

The police source added: “They are
supposed to meet at Abule-Egba,
where they would carry out the bank
robbery.

Patrick said he did not know Abule-
Egba. He said that the two motorbike
riders that escaped were leading him
to Abule-Egba. “He said the two
motorbike riders and their
passengers were part of their
robbery gang.

He said that they are the people that
know the bank that would be robbed
on Friday morning.” When
contacted, the state Police Public
Relations Officer, DSP Joe Offor,
confirmed the arrest.

He said: “Two bikers were arrested
with AK 47 rifle. But we have not
determined the motive for carrying
arm.”