8th September, 2015
Paul Iyoghojie
A dismissed soldier from a military formation in Lagos, Ibrahim Ari, 38, has been arraigned for allegedly robbing Hassan Mohammed of the sum of N5,855,000 inside his vehicle.
Operatives of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS), Adeniji Adele Road, Lagos, western Nigeria, arrested Ari sometime last year.
After robbing the victim of the money at gun point, he threw him out of the moving vehicle and escaped.
After the incident was reported to the police, Ari and his accomplice were trailed for over a year before they were arrested.
After investigation by CSP D. Daura and his team, the accused was arraigned before an Igbosere magistrates’ court, Lagos on a two-count charge of felony to wit: armed robbery.
The police prosecutor, Supol C. N. Odii informed the court that the accused and his accomplice currently remanded at Ikoyi Prison, Lagos, committed the offence on 17 May, 2014 at Obalende B/stop, Lagos.
Odii told the court that the incident occurred when the victim was sent to the bank by his boss, Alhaji Aliu Tanko, to lodge the sum of N3,285,000, 700 British Pound Sterling and $160USD all valued at the N5,855,000 into his account.
He alleged that the accused, who was still a serving military officer at the time of the incident, and his accomplice ambushed the victim at Obalende bus stop, Lagos with their unpainted cab pretending to be cab drivers.
Odii stated that immediately the victim arrived Obalende to board a bus to the bank, the accused and his partner in crime lured the victim into their cab as a passenger and zoomed off.
He said as the accused got to the 3rd Mainland bridge, Lagos, he threatened the victim with a pistol, robbed of the money and pushed him out of the moving vehicle and escaped.
Odii noted that the offences the accused committed were punishable under sections 6(b) and 1(2)(a)(b) of the robbery and fire arms/ special provisions act CAP R11, Laws of Lagos state , 2004.