Power Bike Robbers Kill Currency Changer, Snatch N4.5m

A Bureau de Change operator was shot dead yesterday evening at Alade Market, Allen Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, by armed robbers who carted away his N4.5 million (about $30,000).

The two robbers carried out the operation on a power bike.

The victim, identified as Tijani Musa, 25, from Kebbi State, was shot at about 4.30 p.m. as he was on his way to the bank to deposit the money.

An eyewitness who pleaded anonymity said the robbers accosted the late Musa and asked him to surrender the bag which contained the money to them. He was said to have resisted and the robbers brought out a pistol and shot him at a close range.

While escaping with their loot, the robbers fired more shots and a bystander was hit in the stomach, while another woman was hit in the leg.

Members of the police team (RRS) always deployed to Allen Roundabout reportedly fled the area when they heard the gunshots fired by the robbers.

When P.M.NEWS spoke with Commander, OP-MESA, Flight Sergeant Oladimeji Ayodele, he said, “we were in Mazamaza when we received the information on our radio, that robbers were operating at Allen Roundabout.

“I quickly mobilised my men with our two patrol vehicles. But it is quite unfortunate that when we got there, the robbers had escaped and we only found Musa’s corpse,” who was later buried at Moricas area of Agege yesterday evening.

A relative of the deceased showed P.M.NEWS shells of the seven bullets shot at the deceased. He also told our reporter that, “I even carried him when the robbers shot him dead.   Initially, I never knew it was my brother until I got to the scene.”

He also spoke on lack of security: “We need just not the police but OP-MESA to be on ground in Alade Market to beef up security because I don’t see any reason for a policeman that was carrying fire arm to have taken to his heels when he heard the gunshots fired by the robbers.

“To me, the regular police is practically useless.”

Also speaking, the brother of the deceased, Alhaji Bala Yauri said, “I miss my brother who was very hard working.

“I never knew my brother would die so soon,” he said.

Ahmed Yerima, Musa’s colleague, said: “Musa was so hard working. There was no day that he would come to the market and you will not see him on the road side wooing customers. He also loved praying.

“He was quite gentle and was in good terms with everybody in the market. This is a man that loved praying.

“What I know is that Musa had a wife and children but I don’t know the number of children. He was just coming up.

“It was a shock to me when I heard about his death. My prayer is that his soul should rest in perfect peace.”

—Ayodeji Dedeigbo