By Emmanuel Udom – Special Correspondent, Lagos
Chioma and members of her gang
In many places, the crime world was dominated by men. Such crimes like armed robbery, assassination, murder, fraud, theft, kidnapping, and other forms of criminalities were linked directly to men.
But, these days, the story is changing. Women are increasingly getting directly involved or indirectly with crime. It appears it is a case of what a man can do, a woman can even do better.
Recently, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police (CP) Umar Manko, unfolded what could be described as police anti-crime scorecard for the state in 2013.The Lagos police report card showed a rather disturbing trend of a possible upsurge in the number of women linked with criminal activities.
For instance there is the case of one Chioma Ezekwesiri who claimed to be a law graduate from the University of Lagos. However, police detectives from the Lagos State Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) identified her as the leader of a robbery gang that attempted to loot a hotel in Ijaiye, Lagos.
Daily Independent re-called that sometimes in November last year; the said Chioma Ezekwesiri led a robbery gang that stormed Bolatito Hotel, located at Kola bus-stop, Ijaiye armed with dangerous weapons.
The mission of the self-acclaimed law graduate and other members of her gang namely: Raymond Chukwuka, 24, Ignatius Okeredi, 27, Michael Madu, 52, Okechukwu Jerome, 28, and Amadi Igwe, 41 was to rob a customer, who lodged in the hotel.
According to police sources, the gang got a tip-off that the unidentified man had about N8million with him at the hotel and they raided the hotel determined to steal the money.
However, they were not so lucky as SARS police detectives had got hint of their moves and stormed the hotel, where they engaged members of the robbery gang in a bloody shoot out.
At the end of the day, the 35-year-old Chioma, who claimed to have graduated in 1999 from Unilag and called to the bar in 2000 was stopped on her track, alongside her other gang members.
Even as she and her gang members are presently cooling their heels at Kirikiri prison in Lagos, two guns and 12 live ammunitions were some of the weapons recovered from them.
Also, earlier in 2013, another suspected female armed robber, one Miss Yemi Akogun, girlfriend to one Are, a notorious armed robber that had terrorised states in south-west Nigeria for years was also arrested at a popular hotel in Oyingbo, Lagos during a robbery operation.
According to the police, the robbery gang stormed the hotel one fateful Friday night and succeeded in dispossessing guests that lodged in the hotel of their valuables including money, phones, jewelleries and other personal items.
Like in the previous case, Lagos SARS police detectives, acting on a tip-off arrived the hotel quite on time to frustrate the suspects and stopped them on their tracks.
Our correspondent further learnt that one of the female robbers on that team was allegedly gunned down by the police, while Are, the gang leader escaped.
Recovered from the gang were cash, 34 phones, 21 cartridges, guns and a black Toyota matrix marked FST368CF, which was driving by Akogun.
For years, Sadiq Olayibi, Tolani Adeyinka, Adeleke Teslim and Olayemi Akiloye, have planned and participated in successful robbery operations in and around Ikeja.
Police sources said they have made fortunes from their criminal activities. One Lawal Ireti, a 50-year-old woman was linked to the robbery gang as an informant.
Our correspondent learnt that it was Ireti that provided the information that enabled the gang members to successfully loot a micro-finance bank of about N8million in Ogba, Lagos early last year.
In addition to targeting banks, markets, and other business concerns around Ikeja, Daily Independent investigations revealed that the gang specialised in snatching exotic cars within Ikeja and its environs.
But, nemesis caught up with them when Manko, ordered Abba Kyari, a Superintendent of Police (SP) and officers attached to the SARS of the Lagos State Police Command to go after the robbers.
A police source told Daily Independent that: “Police detectives arrested Tolani Adeyinka, at the South African Embassy, after he had secured a visa to flee the country.”
The source added that “Sadiq Olabiyi was picked up at Ajah area of the state; he has also applied for a visa to travel to Egypt, while Adeleke Teslim and Olayemi Akiloye were picked separately at Ojo and Okokomaiko areas of the state,”.