18th April, 2012
He is lethal, he is dangerous, he is very vicious. His name is Pedro; that perhaps is his nom de guerre, others call him Mr. K. His presence in Iba Housing Estate sends shivers down the spines of residents. At such times parents call in their children in hushed tones “Pedro is in the Estate who will be his next victim?” He is ably assisted by two equally vicious ones called Sunnypa and Teeboy. This is the gang that daily terrorises Iba Housing Estate. Their presence in the estate means one or more murders and family grief. Residents scurry into safety anytime they sight him and Sunnypa. At such times with the arrogant air of an emperor, he waves assuring them in Yoruba language “mi o ba ti yin wa sibi” (I am not here for you). But such times are rare.
For four years, there has been hardly any murder in the estate without the names of these criminal psychopaths allegedly associated with it. The police at Ojo have their names in its wanted persons’ list. In spite of this Pedro and his gang continue to strike and disappear. He lies low for a while until he could no longer resist his thirst for blood. He shows up to slake it and disappears again. Years of killing has numbed his senses. He casually calls blood red wine and victims, suppliers. Iba Housing Estate is his farm.
Residents are like “lambs led to the slaughter without voice”. Victims are buried quietly by their parents without even bothering to complain to police since Pedro appears invisible to arrest. The most they do is to relocate out of the estate. In broad day light, Indian hemp smoking youths stop buses and rob passengers of their belongings.
When Pedro goes on his killing spree either in the estate or its environs, it is usually accompanied with so much bravado. On his return trip from such exercise, he and his gang would rob anybody or shops in sight.
Last year a CMO member of St. Augustine’s Catholic Church, Iba, Mr. Okogwu (not real name) had his son murdered allegedly by the notorious Pedro. He used a decoy to get the son from his home and got him shot in broad day light at about 11a.m. All who saw him said he calmly mounted his motorbike and got away leisurely. The devastated Okogwu family buried their son and relocated out of the Estate. Statistics has it that there has been no less than ten murders in the Estate in the last five years. Parents of victims are too scared to bother about police investigation.
Recently, an Austria-based Nigerian was murdered at 2 p.m. at Iba Housing Estate. The victim Mr. Onome, son of a businessman, was with a friend in front of a kiosk when three boys on two motorbikes stopped to rob them of their handsets and money. Getting no money from Onome, one of them stabbed him through the ribs. His friend who they also wanted to kill escaped. The three assailants escaped in two motorbikes leaving Onome bleeding. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he died before help could reach him. Those who saw the incident alleged that two of the assailants were Pedro and Sunnypa with Teeboy in toe. We understand the case was reported at Panti and Ojo Police Stations.
The late Mr. Onome who lived in Vienna was in Nigeria to effect his marriage. His wife returned alone leaving him to sort out his re-entry visa. He was preparing to leave for Vienna in the week he was murdered. He died leaving behind a devastated wife, parents and siblings. Our effort to reach his parents was turned down as they were still in shock and deep grief and possibly too scared to talk. Neigbhours of the parents testified to their humility and kindness and wondered why such calamity should befall such kind hearted people. It is sad that families continue to be thrown into grief because of a notorious criminal who the police cannot arrest. As long as Pedro and his gangs continue to remain invisible, many more families will continue to grieve.
We were told that Pedro in blood soaked dress ran to the house of an Area Mama called Maale- a slang for mummy at a street in Unity Estate, Iba where he hid and washed his clothes after allegedly killing Onome on the 23rd January. Pedro’s father died a few years ago broken hearted from all the troubles he gave him. His mother lives alone near Immaculate Heart Catholic Church, Iba. We learnt that he was thrown out of a school in Iba, after the school authorities could not cope with his criminal tendencies.
Since the killing, he has temporarily relocated to Cotonou possibly to network with other gangs there. But we believe it would not be long before he gets hungry and thirsty for blood. Police will have to do more before the gang strikes again. Meanwhile, Iba Housing Estate has been quiet since Onome’s death. Pedro, Sunnypa and Teeboy have not been seen in the estate since the incident.
Even as Onome’s parents and siblings declined to talk to us, we still succeeded in mixing up with the mourners at the cemetery where Onome was buried. For them, they were ready to bury their son and move on. And this is the very attitude that has kept this evil to thrive. O! what an emotional and pathetic scene as the young widow struggled to break loose and plunge into the grave. A copious flow of tears from everybody as we watched her thrashing on the ground and calling on God to avenge the death of her husband. We understand the marriage was only three weeks in consummation. The wife has since returned to Vienna blank and empty. One can never wish this for one’s daughter!
In investigating the killings in the estate and to do this report, we had to infiltrate the gangs in the Housing Estate for two months. On two occasions we planned operations with them but deliberately aborted the implementation under the pretext that the Police had become aware of our plans.
The very strange thing is that the police is totally helpless in tracking Pedro and his gang down with the excuse that it does not know them. One thing in the gangs’ favour is the fear they have successfully instilled in the area. Everybody talks about them in hushed tones looking across his/her shoulders. This was our observation while researching this story. None of the parents of victims we tracked was ready to talk to us, including those that have relocated from the Estate.
Pedro is the Nigerian version of unibomber Mr. Theodore John Kaczynski the American serial killer who killed for many years and remained elusive until he was arrested, tried and jailed for life without parole.
To come nearer home, Pedro is a reincarnation of the late Lawrence Anini, the robbery kingpin in Edo State in the 80s.
Lawrence Anini terrorised Benin and its environs for years and proved invisible to arrest. His assistant was Monday Osunbor the master driver and equally vicious robber who would drive in reverse gear at a speed of 60kmp. The pair terrorised Edo State almost to a point of helplessness. In exasperation, the President at the time, General Ibrahim Babangida asked the then IGP, Mr. Etim Inyang: “where is Anini?” Eventually, Lawrence Anini, Monday Osunbor and other members of the gang were arrested by a crack police squad led by Parry Osayande who has now retired. All the robbers were tried and executed by firing squad. Executed with them was CSP George Iyamu who apparently was running with the hare and hunting with the hounds. Never in the history of the Police Force had any staff brought so much shame to it as George Iyamu. He was arms suppliers to Lawrence Anini and the mole that leaked information to him. He killed the police orderly of a high court judge and hurled his body over the walls into the Judge’s compound.
The Judge was humiliated and dismissed from the judiciary. He went on trial for murder but was discharged and acquitted. “The prosecution was too close to the canvass to appreciate the picture” said Justice Maidoh. At the execution stake just before the order, George Iyamu screamed the cry of dereliction “Edo waru ona” (Edo you caused this) fearful of blood and death.
The Estate is a hot bed for gang fights. Unless the police descend hard on the gang, they should be prepared for more murders. The estate deserves a full fledged Police Station. The killings must stop but they cannot stop without a conscious effort by the government, the cooperation of relatives of the victims and members of the public who know the criminals.
•Thomas and Alaka wrote from Lagos.