Robbers raid Ado-Ekiti estate, blame economic meltdown
From Ifedayo Sayo, Ado-Ekiti

DAREDEVIL armed robbers at the weekend raided several houses at the Shelter View Housing Estate located along Afao road in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State capital, carting away hundreds of thousands of naira and personal effects of the residents.



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The robbers, numbering about 20, according to the residents, had a field day as they operated for about two hours uninterrupted before they escaped using a vehicle belonging to one of the residents, to convey their loot from the estate.

It was gathered that the robbers had arrived the estate at about 12a.m. on Friday and forced one of the night guards to lead them to the houses of the residents, which he did at gun-point.

One of the residents, Mrs. Wunmi Akinbo, said the robbers arrived at her house and smashed the window when she did not open the door for them.

They also destroyed the frontage door in anger and when she opened the door, they descended on her, asking her to bring out her valuables, including money.

The robbers ransacked the house and went away with her younger brother's money.

Akinbo said only four of the heavily-armed robbers entered her three-bedroom apartment as others went to other houses in the estate.

After about two hours of operation, they came back to Akinbo and demanded for the key to her vehicle, an Audi A4 with registration number Lagos State DQ 903 APP, which they used to cart away their loot.

She noted that the robbers, who wore mobile police uniform apologised for their action, saying they were forced into robbery by the world economic meltdown.

She further disclosed that no fewer than 12 houses were raided by the robbers whose age ranges from between 20 and 30 years.

At the house of her neighbour, the robbers created a hole in the wall of the building to gain access to the house after all efforts to force the door open failed. However, to prevent further damage to the house, the residents opened the front door.

At the end of the operation in the house, they made away with valuables and other personal effects of the occupants.

In the house of another resident, Mr. Awe Agboluga, it was the same sad story as the robbers pulled down the walls of her bedroom to gain access to the house. Not only did they take away with his money running to thousands of naira, they stole his personal wears and laptops at gun-point. His wife and son are currently hospitalised as a result of the shocking experience with the robbers.

Another resident, Mrs. Tola Henry-Dada, said when the robbers arrived at the house of her neighbour, Dr. Akinsikun, her husband, Henry, had gone to the house to offer an assistance thinking that the medical doctor's pregnant wife was about to deliver her baby.

But on getting to Akinsikun's house, he was confronted by gun-wielding robbers who asked him to lead them to his house, where they took away their personal effects and the sum of N55,000 belonging to his boss.

Mrs. Henry-Dada, who was yet to recover from the shock as at press time, told newsmen that two guns were pointed at her head by the robbers who threatened to shoot her. Her husband's pleadings that he had some money at home saved her from being shot by the robbers who ransacked the entire house before leaving them.

Mrs. Olumide Dada's story was not different as her house was damaged by the robbers who took away laptops and other valuables. She said when the robbers arrived at the estate, a distress call was made to the police but the police did not arrive until about 4.00 a.m., after the robbers had left.

She disclosed that many of the houses raided by the robbers had their windows smashed and their burglary proofs removed to enable them gain access after the residents refused to open their doors on time to the rampaging robbers.

She called for the deployment of policemen to the estate, which has no police-post, saying the incident would be the second in the past six weeks.

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