Bank staff masterminded failed Abuja Bank robbery, suspects reveal

The police on Tuesday paraded three suspected robbers involved in the attempted robbery of an old generation bank in the Mpape area of Abuja last Saturday.

Arrested alongside the robbers is an employee of the bank, Larry Ehizo, 30, was alleged to have led three others, Timothy Joe, 21; Princewill Obinna, 24; and Elijah David, 19, to the bank in an attempt to steal a huge sum of money from it.

The fourth suspect, identified simply as Patrick, was gunned down by security agents during the failed heist, while a manhunt has been launched for the fifth member of the gang, identified simply as Ernest.

Ehizo, who allegedly masterminded the robbery, was said to have also driven his gang members to the bank premises in his Peugeot 206 car and provided directions on how to access the vault.

The bank employee also allegedly gave them black fez caps to cover their faces before he disabled the close circuit television cameras on the premises.

Parading the suspects, the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Federal Capital Territory, Bala Ciroma, said efforts were being made to arrest other members of the gang, who are on the run.

He said, “Four locally-made pistols, one Peugeot 206 car with number plate SBG 752 FP, two cutlasses, two daggers, one axe, a pair of pliers, one Infinix Note phone and one saw blade were recovered from the suspects.

“Efforts are being intensified to arrest other members of the gang, who are currently at large.”

Narrating how the failed heist was executed, David alleged that Ehizo informed the gang members that the robbery would rake in N7m and assured them that only a few staff members would be at work on the day of the incident.

David further explained that the banker administered an oath of secrecy on him before they went for the operation.

On entering the bank premises, the 19-year-old explained that they saw the policeman on duty sleeping, adding that they tied him with an old sponge and proceeded to the banking hall, where they also tied up other workers on duty.

He said, “Mr Larry (Ehizo) told us that the job could fetch about N7m. After we entered the bank, we saw a riot policeman on duty but sleeping, so Obinna pointed a pistol at him and we tied him with an old sponge. Mr Larry told us that he would keep the other door open for us.