One Chance Robbery Gangs Demanding ATM Cards & Pins Take Over Lagos, Victims Narrate Ordeal

Feb 9, 2018 – One Chance Robbery Gangs Demanding ATM Cards & Pins Take Over Lagos, Victims Narrate Ordeal

Many victims of robbery gang operating inside commercial vehicles have narrated their harrowing experiences.

The victims narrated how the robbers took them at gunpoint to some Automated Teller Machine (ATM) portals, obtain their pin numbers and withdraw money from their accounts.

According to NAN, their mode of operation remains the same – luring and robbing unsuspecting commuters of valuables using the yellow buses early in the morning or at night.

A hospital worker, Mrs Philomina Nezianya, said she was robbed by a “One Chance’’ gang at about 5.30am on February 5 after boarding a bus on her way to work in Ikeja.

“I entered a bus in front of Gowon Estate Police Station by Moshalasi bus stop; I was inside the bus with other people. I didn’t know it was “one-chance bus’’ that I entered.

“Few minutes into our journey, I was held on the neck by one of the men sitting behind while the two on my left began to throw punches at me as they forced me to lie down.

“They all held me down with their knees, they collected my hand bag, took my three ATM cards, two phones, wristwatch and a cash of N27,000 as the vehicle continued in motion.

“While I was being strangled, the criminals demanded for pin numbers of the ATM cards and threatened to kill me if I gave them wrong pin numbers. I pleaded that I will comply but that they should not kill me,’’ she said.

The victim added that one of the criminals, referred to as “officer’’, told the others not to kill her before they dropped off one of their gang members along the road.

“About an hour later, one of them requested for acid to pour into my eyes; again I started begging them to spare my life.

“Later, they stopped somewhere and asked me to step down and that if I should shout, they will blast my head. Immediately their vehicle sped off, I shouted for help and sympathisers came to my rescue,’’ she said.

Nezianya said she was let off at Abule Egba after they withdrew N150,000 each from two bank accounts and did N100,000 transfer to another bank account.

A trader, Mrs Abiola Owusun, said she was robbed of N700, 000 last December 19, after boarding a yellow-painted bus at Gate bus-stop on Ipaja-Ayobo road.

“I boarded the bus heading to Lagos-Island for business when surprisingly five male occupants, who were already inside, pounced on me and robbed me of the N300, 000 cash, meant to buy wares for the last Christmas sales.

“They also collected my two ATM cards, which they used in transferring N200,000 from each of my accounts. They also collected my gold wedding rings, earrings as well as my wristwatch’’.

Owusun said after the incident, they drove to somewhere in Abule-Egba where they put pepper in her eyes.

“The thieves gave me N1,000 for transport after collecting all that I had,’’ the victim said.

A bank worker said she was dispossessed of her valuables and ATM cards after she boarded a commercial bus at Moshalasi bus stop last December.

The thieves, she said, transferred over N500,000 from her accounts and humiliated her for not providing them with the secret code of her bank.

A worker with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Mr Muyiwa Dare, said he went out early for business and boarded a commercial bus heading to Iyana- Ipaja at Adaba bus stop.

According to the victim, the bus veered off the route instead of going to their destination and, in the process, dispossessed them of their valuables.

Dare told NAN that the robbers dispossessed him of his lap top, phones and ATM Card at gun point after beating him to stupor.

He added that the criminals immediately used the card to withdraw huge sums from his bank account while still holding him captive.
“Before the withdrawal, the leader of the gang threatened to kill me if they discover that the PIN number is wrong,’’ he said.

When contacted the Lagos State Police Command spokesman, Mr Chike Oti, told NAN that the command had arrested over 30 suspects using commercial buses to rob people of valuables.

Oti said that the police had intensified efforts to curb the ugly trend and urged residents to be more careful and watchful before boarding commercial vehicles.