•Beaten and dispossessed of valuables by robbers

By Bose Adebayo

The jubilation that heralded the restoration of electricity after three days outage was short lived for residents of No 75, Ikotun Road, Ebedi,  about 100 metres away from Isheri-Oshun Police station in the  Igando-Ikotun Local Council Development Area.

They were robbed by a seven-man armed robbery gang who after beating them to stupor, dispossessed them of cash and other valuables estimated at several thousands of Naira. The victims who are clergymen recounted their ordeal to Vanguard Metro.

Pastor ‘Dayo Adeleye who was the first to be robbed explained that in the euphoria that greeted the restoration of electricity, they left the door to their three bedroom flat ajar.“Suddenly seven strangers, armed with guns entered our apartment and before we could ask questions, they ordered everybody to lie on the floor. They beat us black and blue.

Although the operation did not last more than thirty minutes, they took our jewelleries, VCD player, handsets and the sum of N9,000. They later asked me to lead them to another family that lives upstairs”, Pastor Adeleye recalled.

One of the flats visited by the robbers.Photo : Bose Adebayo

The fear stricken clergyman said he had no option than do their bidding and led them to the flat occupied by Pastor Felix George who was awaiting the arrival of his wife who went to visit some neighbours.

Incidentally, Pastor Adeleye had gone there a few minutes earlier to borrow a Nokia phone charger.  Not suspecting any danger, Pastor Felix’s  sister in-law who got married two months earlier, opened  the door only to be confronted by the seven gun-carrying robbers who charged on them like wild beasts.

After thoroughly beating them, they (robbers)  ransacked the whole apartment and succeeded in carting away a China gold ring worth  N170,000, eight handsets, two sets of wedding rings, gold wristwatch and jewelleries and the sum of N35,000. They later locked up the entire family in a room and took the keys away.

As they (robbers) disembarked from the staircase, they met a woman and her son who live in another apartment. Suspecting that  they were members of Pastor George’s family, they also apprehended them and locked them up in the toilet before disappearing with their loot.

Vanguard Metro who visited the victims saw many of them with bruises while Pastor George’s sister in-law had just been discharged from a nearby hospital.

Mrs. George who returned to the house shortly after the jiffy operation recounted her experience to Vanguard Metro.
“When I came back, I saw that the door was left open and some items littered the whole place. Initially, I thought a snake had gained access to the flat.  I suspected danger when I realised that my husband, his brother and wife as well as my siblings were all locked up in one of the rooms. They spoke to me from there.  I later joined them to force the door open’‘ she said.

The ransacked apartment

Pastor George’s sister-in law could not muster enough strength to talk as she was still in severe pains but her husband spoke on her behalf. ‘’We got married last October and we decided to stay here for some time not knowing that armed robbers could strike by 8pm when the whole environment is still busy. They took away a lot of things in the process,’‘ he said.

Another couple who got married recently were occupying one of the rooms. They were not around  but the robbers still ransacked their room and made away with valuable items,’‘ said Pastor Adeleye.

One of the residents who pleaded anonymity said a loud music emanating from one of the apartments prevented neighbours from hearing what transpired between them and the robbers ‘’But for the loud music from one of the apartments, their noise would have attracted other neighbours because the beatings was severe”,  he said.