One of the four suspected armed robbers that attacked First City Monument Bank, Admiralty Way Lekki, in March 12, 2015, killing three policemen, a man and a 15-year-old girl selling fish, has revealed how the attack was carried out.

The suspect, Ekelemo Kuete, a father of three, said that they were 15 armed men who came for the operation, adding that they entered Island, using speedboat to pass through waters.

Kuete, who was into oil pipeline vandalism before he took to bank robbery, claimed that he was invited by some of his friends to teach them vandalism, only to be told of the bank robbery. He added that accepted to partake in the robbery because he didn’t want his kids to suffer financially.

He said: “It was when I got there that I was told that I would help them to drive the speedboat to the Island. I was promised N50, 000. I decided to drive them to the bank. I actually declined, but they threatened to kill me. I didn’t want to die! I knew they were robbers when they contracted me to use speed boat to convey them through the waterways to Lekki. We were 15 men that went for that operation. We used two speed boats. Five of us stayed back in the boat at Lekki, while 10 went inside the bank.”

He recalled that when his gang members met with them, he and others learnt they had killed policemen and civilians. They were not happy and queried the needless killings.

“But they shouted at me. They asked me to sit down and stop querying them. I regretted my action. I only went with them out of fear of being killed. I also didn’t want my children to suffer,” said Kuete.

Aside from Kuete, other members of the gang presently in police custody are Duke Odogbo, the leader of the gang, Lawrence Kinsley and Ebi Tosan.

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Kayode Aderanti, said: “The robbers went on the rampage immediately they gained access into the banking hall. They dispossessed members of the staff and customers of their valuables. After the operation, they left five people dead. They killed two civilians and three policemen. The policemen had engaged them in a gun duel.”

The police boss identified the slain policemen as Inspector Bethel Agbobu, Odehohwo George and  Imoisiu Ikechukwu.

“The two civilians were  Sowemimo Kabiru and Sarah Ibikunle. The late 15-year-old Sarah was selling fish around the bank vicinity when the robber stormed the bank. She was hit by a stray bullet.”

Aderanti further explained that after the incident, he visited the scene and called an emergency meeting. He ordered the officer in charge of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Ikeja, Lagos State Police Command, led by Abba Kyari, with a six-man decoy team was to begin trailing the bandits. They were trailed to Delta, Ogun and   Ondo states. They were also hunted at Ikorodu, in Lagos State.

According to him,  Odogbo, who led the robbery operation, was arrested through the deployment of technological tools. The kingpin was arrested on March 20, 2015, at Warri, Delta State.

Kuete was picked at Majidun, a suburb of Lagos Metropolis, while the other two were also arrested at different locations.

Odogbo, without mincing words, said: “Yes, I fired the shot that broke the door into banking hall. Before we set out for the operation, I was told by our leaders that whenever we got to the bank, I should be the one to led and open the door for the rest of us to enter into the banking hall.

“I was the first person that entered the banking hall. We ordered everybody to lie-faced down. We made away with N15million kept in a Ghana must-go bag in the vault of the bank. On our way out of the bank, we saw some police officers who were in traffic. We believed they would attack us, so we opened fire on them.”

Odogbo said that it was after the gang had left the scene that they heard on the radio that three police officers and two civilians were killed.

Odogbo said: “We never meant to kill anybody! I regretted my action. God cannot forgive me because I don’t think I can ever see the face of the lord”.