Robbers Shoot Chief Imam

Residents of Iba in Iba Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State certainly had black Easter celebration as armed robbers raided several houses in the area at the weekend and shot a Chief Imam and two others, carting away goods worth millions of naira.

The robbers who struck in the early hours of the day were said to have unleashed terror on people in the area, while the Chief Imam of Iba New Site Central Mosque identified as Alhaji Shododo was shot severally and is now in critical condition at the Intensive care ward of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba where doctors battling to save his life.

The bandits, said to be armed to the teeth, were said to have divided themselves into three gangs, operated simultaneously at Ajilete, Onibudo and Okejebu areas of the community, where they unleashed terror on their victims.

According to victims, the bandits arrived at about 1.00am on Saturday and operated for about three hours..

At Ajilete, they were said to have raided the home of an Igbo businessman and took away his N650, 000, which he had withdrawn the previous Thursday in preparation for a business transaction.

It was reliably gathered that the hoodlums who attacked residents of No. 9, Steven Kutelu Street at Okejebu, a one storey building of four flats, specifically demanded for the landlord.

Following the strong security fittings and burglary device, sources said the robbers could not gain access into the landlord’s apartment, but succeeded in gaining entry into one of the tenants’ apartment down stairs, where the sum of N300, 000 and mobile phones were carted away.

The night guard at Okejebu, whose name could not the ascertained as at the time of the report, was said to have been attracted by the sound of the robbers’ gun shots while carrying out their dastardly act, but could not apprehend any while they were escaping with their loot.

They were said to have shot severally while operating at No. 9, Steven Kutelu Street , threatening that they were not mere thieves, but armed robbers who were out to rob.

A distress call put across to the police was said to have led to the arrival of four anti- robbery patrol team led by the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ojo Division about an hour after the robbers had fled.

The cops, according to witnesses combed the area in search of the bandits but did not make any arrest.

When contacted, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Frank Mba said he was not aware of the development and told P.M. NEWS to send him a text as he was in a meeting.

As at the time of filling this report, Mba had not replied the text message sent to his mobile phone.