The suspected ring-leader of a four-man robbery syndicate that stormed the circulation office of The Sun newspapers and other adjoining offices, yesterday, in Onitsha, Anambra State, and allegedly carted away over N400,000 has been arrested by the police and is now been interrogated.
The suspect was said to have been apprehended in the Fegge area of Onitsha, near the Onitsha drugs market, while three of his gang members escaped arrest.
A source disclosed that the four suspects, who operated on two motorbikes, had stormed the one-storey building office of The Sun office at 57, Old Market Road, opposite Onitsha General Post Office.
They robbed three offices: The Sun, Complete Sports and Canefield Investment Limited, a stock broker.
The source said that although the circulation staff of The Sun, who was one of the main targets of the robbers, was not around when the bandits struck, they made away with as much as N370,000 from the office of Canefield Investment and another N80,000 from Complete Sports’ office, apart from an unspecified amount they took from a drawer at The Sun’s office.
It was gathered that as soon the robbers left The Sun, they crossed over to the drugs market in the Fegge area of Onitsha and continued to rob until luck ran out on them, when a combined team of police and soldiers on patrol were alerted.
The ring leader was arrested, when he fell into gutter while attempting to escape, but his gang members escaped.
The soldiers took him to Onitsha Military Cantonment for a brief interrogation and then handed him over to the police for thorough investigation for information that could lead to the arrest of his fleeing members.
At the Police Area Command Headquarters, Onitsha, some of the victims identified him as the one that was commanding the group during the operations.
Area Commander, Benjamin Wordu, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP, confirmed the arrest, saying he got a distress call that some hoodlums were robbing law abiding citizens close to the drugs market and he quickly directed his patrol team to move in and their timely intervention paid off with the arrest of the gang leader.
