First Bank staff narrates how he planned foiled robbery in Mpape

Larry Ehizo, a customer service officer at First Bank, Mpape, Abuja, has narrated how he helped some robbers in their foiled robbery attempt on the bank.

Ehizo and the other suspects were paraded by the FCT police command after their operation was foiled by the combined efforts of the police and army.

According to him, he was threatened by a certain Ernest (at large) to ensure the operation was successful or he will kill him, his girlfriend and family members.

He said: “I met a friend (Ernest) in November and we had a discussion where we used to hang out and I said something after he complained about our services in the bank and we almost got into a serious argument and I told him that the only thing he would do is get angry and maybe not bank again with us.

“He (Ernest) said he was going to hurt someone and I told him not to do that. That the highest he could do was to maybe rob the bank to make them feel bad. I did not know he had that on record and he used that to threaten that I must take the people that he would bring into the bank.

“He threatened my family, me and even the people around me – even my girlfriend. After that, I was afraid to go to the police because he said even if I went to the police he had already informed his colleagues because he is a cultist.

“That is when he brought them. I still begged him and he went as far as my family house and threatened to kill them. He brought them on that day that I should take them in and tell them what to do.

“He even followed us to the bank but escaped when they caught them. He insisted I took them inside the place in my car and that was the only thing I was supposed to do and leave the rest for them to do.

“I didn’t report to the police because of the threat. He brought his fellow cultists to my house and threatened me and my girlfriend. He said he was going to give them N7 million. He said I was going to get 20 per cent and I told him I did not want anything. He said I must collect it. I am a Customer Service Officer. I have been with the bank for over two years.

“If I had gone to the police I would not have been here talking now. Members of my family also would not be. He knows my family house and knows where I stay personally at Mpape. I did everything out of fear of being killed.

“Ernest is a customer at the bank. He comes around. There is a place I go to hang out in Mpape. He is a barman there. He sells drinks. In normal situations, we have sat down to have drinks. We discuss football, family and how to move forward.”

Princewill Obinna, 24, said they never expected any difficulties because Ernest and Ehizo had assured them of a hitch-free operation.

Obinna said: “I was among those people that robbed the bank. It happened that Mr. Larry invited us. Mr. Ernest met us and told us there is a job we wanted to do, but he would connect us to the person that had the work.

“I asked him who the person is. So he called me and introduced us to Mr. Larry, who told us that there is an event that he wants us to carry out that Ernest has been troubling him.

"I said what was the deal about and he said it was a bank. I was shocked and said I have never done such before. He said we should not worry that there is a vehicle that is tinted and nobody would see us and that everyone would be okay.

“The message came to me on Tuesday and the operation was on Saturday; so, we were just thinking about what they told us that it would be easy and they would give us money. They promised to give us N7 million to share. I coordinated the other boys.

“The ammunition we took there was a local pistol that our late friend (robber who was shot) brought. He said he would be the one to stand at the gate and that I should hold this one and threatened the mobile policeman.”

Obinna added that he was dismissed a few weeks to the passing out parade of a 2017 Army recruitment due to medical reasons.