Attempts by suspected militants to attack several commercial banks in Lagos have been foiled by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Intelligence Response Team (IRT).

This is just as four suspected members of notorious kidnapper, America’s gang and a guard attached to one of the banks have been arrested at the Ajah and Ikorodu areas of the state.

The banks targeted, the police said were Zenith and First City Monument Bank (FCMB) in Lekki, as well as FCMB, Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB) and Keystone Banks in Ajah.

It was gathered that the gang was behind last Thursday’s kidnap of six pupils of the Lagos State Model College, Igbonla.

According to the police, Abiodun Olaroye (Gbeleju), 38, Ebipatgh Tuwei (Segun), 47, Benjamin Powei (Ben), 42, Samuel Chinedu (Hitman), 30, and Samuel Innocent Ikechukwu (IK), 33, were arrested on May 30.

While Olaroye, a native of Ode Kreme village, Tuwei and Powei of Arogbo, Ondo State, Chinedu was said to be an indigene of Delta State and Ikechukwu, the guard, was said to be from Abia.It was gathered that the suspects were picked up following credible intelligence and they confessed that plans have been perfected by the gang to attack five banks in the state.

The police said Puwei confessed to have participated in the ambush that killed four policemen and an Army Captain. Their arrest, the police said, followed days of unrelenting tracking by the IRT.

The four militants were said to have been sent by America from the creek to survey the banks and hire two operational buses that would be used to convey the criminals to and fro the river banks in the course of the attack.

It was gathered that the banks were marked because of their proximity to river banks. All suspects arrested confessed to the planned bank robberies and confirmed that they were sent by their boss in the creek, America, to survey the five banks together with the guard who tipped the militants off.

They also said America fixed Wednesday June 1, for the attack, but his boys were arrested before then. The suspects are cooperating with detectives in the Investigation. Serious efforts to arrest the gang leader, other members and rescue the school children, are in progress. (The Nation)

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