CYRIACUS IZUEKWE


A team of police officers attached to the Anti-Cultism unit of State Anti-Robbery Squad have been linked to the suspected robbery operation that took place at a popular hotel in Lagos.

The incident happened at the popular CY Hotel located at Governor’s Road at Ikotun, Lagos.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the officers whose identities were not yet known, invaded the hotel in the evening with a bus and whisked a Nigerian resident in Ghana simply identified as Uche who came with his friend from Republic of Sierra Lone at gun point.

They reportedly ordered Uche to his room, searched the whole place acting as if he was a suspected criminal and cultist who might hide his weapons in the room. It was gathered that when they had searched everywhere and did not find any incriminating item, they carted away all the money they found in the room and left.

They had attempted to take Uche and his friend away before the owner of the hotel arrived, intervened and rescued the victims but was unable to recover their money.

According to Uche who claimed that he was a businessman and footballer, he came to Nigeria with his friend and lodged in the hotel. He explained that they were relaxing at the hotel’s balcony before the men who claimed to be from the Anti-Cultism unit attacked and intimidated them with their guns.

He narrated that two of the officers pointed their guns at him, marched him to his room and searched everywhere. And when they did not find anything except money, they carted away the money.

Uche said he was terrified mostly by the commando style they attacked and robbed them which made him doubt if they were police officers.

“All the money we had in the room was stolen and yet it was not enough for them. They beat and forced us to enter their waiting vehicle in order to take us away to an unknown place before the owner of the hotel intervened” Uche narrated.

When P.M.EXPRESS contacted the owner of the hotel, Ezewele Abionaojie, he confirmed the incident and said it was a pure case of robbery because the officers used their guns to intimidate the victims. Ezewele said that he did not know initially that the officers dragged the victims to their rooms and robbed them until after he had intervened and they had left.

He lamented that the action of the police officers disrupted activities in the hotel as his customers had to abandon the hotel and ran for safety. He said since then they had not returned and the hotel had suffered huge losses as a result. He said he had reported the matter to the Commissioner of Police and said he can identify some of the officers that came for the operation if need be.

When our correspondent contacted the Police Public Relation Officer, PPRO, Mr Famous-Cole for comments his phone was switched off. Some of the residents who witnessed what happened said they did not believe that the men were police officers because they did not come with police vehicle.

donsimo:
SARS. Specialized armed robbery squad.

Dajugba:
Those men are not police. I still cannot believe none of victim or witness asked them from which station those men were operating, if they identify their selves as polo. ehhh police jor

Dajugba:
Those men are not police. I still cannot believe none of victim or witness asked them from which station those men were operating, if they identify their selves as polo. ehhh police jor

donsimo:
SARS.
Specialized armed robbery squad.