Guards Helps robbers to steal from pharmaceutical firms

The Lagos State Police Command has
arrested two security guards, Ali Salifu and
Eno Kela, with seven others for allegedly
robbing pharmaceutical company, May and
Baker, in Ikeja Indusrial Estate.

Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide,
told Newslinegossips Metro that the arrested guards
gave other security men in the company
some packs of juice laced with a banned
drug, Rohypnol, to make them sleep when
the robbery was taking place.

She added that policemen attached to the
Special Anti-Robbery Squad were, however,
able
to foil the operation after some hours
of surveillance.
She said, "On August 24, 2013, SARS
operatives received information that some
robbers were planning to rob May and
Baker at Ikeja. Around 9pm, the robbers
had duplicated a key to the warehouse
where the company's products were kept.

We learnt that some of the security guards
had connived with the robbers after being
promised N200,000.
"The robbers also gave the security men
laced juice and told them to give it to other
security men at the company to make them
sleep.

The robbers came in two trucks and
were loading cartons of two expensive
drugs, Sulphatride and Thyzamide, into the
trucks when they were apprehended.
"Policemen from SARS stormed the place
and foiled the robbery. The robbers, who
were in possession of two AK-47 rifles,
immediately threw their guns into the
warehouse when they saw the policemen.

"The robbers and the prospective buyer of
the stolen goods have all been arrested."
The suspects, however, said they were not
armed during the robbery.
The security guards also denied complicity.

They said they did not know that a
robbery was taking place on the premises
until policemen arrived at the scene.
Salifu said, "They had approached me
before, saying they wanted to rob and
they would give me N200, 000 but I
refused. On the day they came, they told
me they were going to another company. I
did not know they came to rob."

The suspect accused of masterminding the
operation, Olanrewaju Simeon, said this
was his second time of robbing the
company.
Simeon, who claimed to have been in
charge of the company's security before
his dismissal in 2011, said he was
expecting N1m from the operation.
He said, "I have been jobless since I was
asked to leave the company in 2011. But I
understand how things are done at the
company. Last year, I successfully robbed
the place and made N1m. This year, I got in
touch with another security guard at the
company, Richard, who gave me the go
ahead to rob.

"May and Baker shares the compound with
five other companies, so the security
guards at the main gate are different from
those attached to May and Baker. I
understood this very well and Richard told
me that he would get some drinks, inject
them with Rohypnol and give them to the
security guards at May and Baker, telling
them that he was celebrating his birthday.
"Richard demanded N50, 000 from me and
then introduced me to the other guards
(Salifu and Kela). I gave them N50,000 and
they remained at the main gate to ensure
that the robbery was successful.
Unfortunately, policemen caught and
arrested us. Richard however managed to
escape."
The proposed buyer, Ejike Ehiri, 62, said he
did not know he was buying stolen goods
since Simeon had pretended to be a
medical sales representative.
The father of nine said, "I bought drugs
from him (Simeon) last year at the cost of
N400,000. I did not know the goods were
stolen. It was not until SARS operatives
arrived at my house that I knew he was a
robber."
Another suspect, James Imoha, who
claimed to be a graduate of Mechanical
Engineering from Auchi Polytechnic, said
he did not know that he was engaging in a
robbery operation.
He said he had only been invited by a
friend to convey the goods from the
warehouse to a truck at midnight.

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