A businessman, Mohammed Abdullahi, has accused policemen of the Zone 2 Command and Lagos State Police Command of mishandling a robbery case that led to the loss of his car, money, and valuables worth N21 million. Armed criminals robbed Abdullahi and his neighbors at their residence in the Awoyaya community, Ibeju Lekki, Lagos State.
Abdullahi, a realtor, expressed his frustration in several posts on X.com in May and June 2024, lamenting the police’s lack of meaningful action despite being provided with substantial evidence.
“Please Nigerians, help me share this video. These are the guys that robbed me, and the police are not ready to do anything about my case,” Abdullahi wrote in one post.
During a recent conversation with Punch’s correspondent, Abdullahi recounted the night of the robbery. He was at home with his friend, Juliet, when three of the five robbers broke down the door of his flat, entered his living room and bedroom, and robbed them at gunpoint.
“The robbers were five in number, but only three entered my apartment while the others stayed outside to monitor. They were armed with guns and knives. One of them cocked a gun and demanded my car key, which I gave him,” Abdullahi said.
He continued, “They also searched my house and found a bag containing my passport with a valid visa, driving license, and dollars intended for a business trip to Turkey. They took my clothes, shoes, laptop, ATM card, gold, phone, and other business documents. The building, housing 20 flats, saw nine residents, including myself, being robbed that night.”
The businessman detailed how the robbers, whose faces were visible, locked him and his neighbors in the toilets before fleeing. Despite the police arriving later and freeing them, no significant progress was made in tracking the suspects.
“The robbers operated from 1 am to 3 am. After they left, the police came and freed us from the toilets and kitchens. We went to the police station to write statements. When we got home, we realized the robbers were using some of the stolen phones to access apps like Uber and Snapchat,” Abdullahi explained.
Abdullahi reported that the suspects even took photos with stolen items and he recognized them as they did not wear masks. Despite providing this evidence to the police and paying N90,000 to track the stolen phones, no concrete results were achieved.
“One policeman demanded N30,000 to flag my car at Alausa but did nothing despite being paid. I later flagged the car myself and still receive alerts whenever my vehicle is involved in a traffic offense,” he added.
Abdullahi visited the command headquarters in Ikeja to lodge another complaint and provided all evidence to CSP Abdulfatai, who promised to arrest the suspects. However, after paying another N50,000 to a team leader named Seun, the case stalled due to the elections, and Abdulfatai retired.
“I went to Zone 2 Command, met the AIG, and wrote a petition. The case was assigned to a team leader who said they didn’t have the server to track the suspects. I was introduced to someone who demanded N500,000, of which I paid N150,000. He returned N70,000 and said he couldn’t continue the job,” Abdullahi said.
Despite his efforts and the evidence provided, Abdullahi claims the police continued to demand money without conducting a solid investigation.
“The police frustrated the case. They just kept collecting money and only showed paperwork. The valuables I lost during the robbery were worth around N21 million. The incident happened on December 25, 2022, and I still have pictures of some of the suspects. Despite making several reports, nothing has been done,” he lamented.
