Picture: Female NTA Reporter Beatup, Disarmed Robber During Attempted Robbery In Benin Edo State
A bus driver turned robber is now in police net in
Benin, Edo State, after the lady he attempted to rob
disarmed him. The victim, a female newscaster with
the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), was said to
have given the suspect, identified as Stanley, the
fight of his life when he tried to rob her. She
succeeded in collecting the robber's locally-made
pistol from him.
The suspect was handed over to policemen from
Oba Police Station, Benin. During interrogation,
Stanley mentioned names of his gang members.
The police went after the gang and arrested five
members. The leader of the gang is, however, still
at large. The newscaster, who wished to remain
anonymous, said she went to Benin from Lagos,
for a wedding when the incident occurred.
She said she was cleaning her car, around
5:30am, when the suspect appeared with his gun
and ordered her to give him money. She added: "I
was cleaning the car when I heard someone ordering
me not to make a noise. He had been hiding behind
my car all this while.
He had a gun with him. He said I should take him
inside the house and give him money. I begged him
not to shoot, that I will give him the money. I also
appealed to him that my sister, whom I lodged with,
is heavily pregnant. I told him that my sister may go
into force labour at the sight of the gun. He was not
interested in my pleas. He held the gun to my waist.
As we got close to the entrance of the sitting room, I
summoned courage. "I screamed Jesus! I did not
know what came over me, but I suddenly turned and
grabbed the gun.
I struggled with him and turned the gun to his
chest. He bit me. I bit him back. As we struggled,
we reached where my car was parked. I screamed
and started calling for help. My brother inlaw ran
out. He attacked the robber and kicked him until
he fell flat on his face."
The shout attracted residents who rushed out and
joined in wrestling the gun from the suspect. He was
eventually beaten up mercilessly. The residents
wanted to beat him to death, but others suggested
they hand him over to the police. Recovered from
Stanley were a locally-made gun, three cartridges, a
wallet, a phone and a wristwatch. The seller of the
gun has also been arrested. Police investigation
revealed that Stanley is a commercial bus driver. But
Stanley claimed he did not know why he took to
robbery.
He said: "It was my gang members that gave me the
gun. I targeted the house because I thought I could
rob people living there successfully. I entered the
compound by jumping the fence. I never expected
that the lady would react by grabbing my gun. I
planned the operation in my house. I entered the
compound around 2am."
[NAN]