Robbers Invade Popular Ibadan Estate with POS Machines

Armed robbers have invaded the popular Alaafia residential estate in Ibadan with POS machines for victims without cash.

Reports say that the robbers gained entry through the recently dredged canal linking Barika, Agbowo and Orogn at about 11:00pm Sunday night and operated till well after 2:00am.

The suspected robbers had earlier robbed a Superintendent of Police living in the estate before visiting other apartments where they carted away valuables and cash running into millions of naira.

Items taken include laptops, ATM cards, jewellery and cell phones. They are said to have arrived armed with guns, machetes and other dangerous weapons.

At least 20 families were visited with many sustaining machete wounds. Victims whose ATM cards did not function on the POS machines were severely beaten, while their ATM cards were taken.

Some families who came out to find out where the noises were coming from at that time of the night were thoroughly beaten, wounded and dispossessed of their valuables.

One of the residents said that, “As they battled to break into the house, one of them was telling the other that someone was peeing through the window. They threatened that we would see hell.”

“They however, took off when they heard the Ojo Police approaching the estate but left 4 machetes and a locally made pistol.”

According to the Police Public Relations Officer, Oyo State Command, Mr Adewale Osifeso, “in response to a distress call received on the early hours of Monday, 31/05/2021, at about 0300hours by residents of Alaafia Estate, Ojo area of Ibadan, a team of operational and intelligence assets were swiftly deployed to the area.

“On sighting the police, the hoodlums fled the scene after they were thoroughly resisted. In the process, a pistol was recovered along with 3 cutlasses and a bag containing both male and female undergarments and SIM cards.

Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the culprits and as well, crack down their criminal chain.”