In January and February of 2017 there were numerous reports of robberies near ATMs in Lagos. Most of the crimes happened in Ojo area. However, only the latest robbery of a woman, who withdrew money from an ATM near the Alaba Rago Market in Lagos, allowed the police to capture the suspects and stop the series of crimes.
The two criminals, who were identified by the police as Gbenga Babatunde and Samson Baba Ramadan, met two years ago and formed a gang that focused on taking money away from people withdrawing cash from an ATM. Babatunde, 25, claims that it was Ramadan, 28, who introduced him to the world of crime.
Most of the pair’s robberies had the same pattern. The criminals arrived at a random ATM around 4 a.m. They hid around the corner or inside a closed shop behind the machine. As soon as the victim received the cash, Babatunde and Ramadan produced a locally made short gun and took the money away. Although overall there have been over 35 robbery victims over the two year time, the criminal operation was uncovered thanks to a police squad patrolling the area and reacting swiftly to the robbery taking place near the Alaba Rago Market.
Despite the police’s instant action, one of the criminals, Ramadan, managed to escape and is now at large. Babatunde, however, decided to cooperate with the detectives, offering a full disclosure of the criminal acts performed by the pair. Babatunde also carried several credit and debit cards issues for various users, which will now become physical evidence in the case.
