A 27 year old unrepentant robber has vowed to continue even after his arrest for stealing money from a bank in the Ogudu area of Lagos State.
The accused, simply identified as Abdulhameed Ibrahim, has proven that he is an unrepentant and hardened criminal by saying he would continue stealing from banks whose staff are careless and leave huge amounts of money unattended.
Ibrahim, a graduate of the University of Medina, Saudi Arabia and a one time staff of the Saudi Arabia Embassy before he was deported in 2011, was arrested after a CCTV footage in the bank revealed him stealing N1.5 million in the bulk room while pretending to make a deposit.
A drug addict, Ibrahim was described by the State Police Commissioner, Fatai Owoseni, as an unrepentant and remorseless robber who had served jail terms in Plateau and Kaduna States for a similar offence.
While confessing before newsmen, Ibrahim boasted that he has made over N20 million from his robbery spree across different states in Nigeria and does not regret his actions.
“I have made over N20 million since I started stealing in banks. I started the operation last year when I came to Lagos from Plateau State. I used the money I got from the banks to buy cocaine. I sell the cocaine in Abuja. I made double the price I bought the drug.
Before I go into the bank, I have a friend called Segun, who prepares the ground for me with the assistance of an insider in the bank.
On this particular occasion, I went into the bank to deposit money in the bulk room. When I got there, I discovered some amount of money was carelessly placed on the counter.
I smartly took it without the female cashier seeing me. She was engrossed in a novel she was reading. I walked out of the bulk room and nobody stopped me.
I got home and counted the money; it was N1.5m. The personnel of the internal security of that bank just don’t understand their job.
The bank where I stole the money is careless. They display their money without minding who comes into the banking hall. I have studied those at the bank; if I had another opportunity, I would love to go to the same bank branch to steal.
They are careless. I love hard drugs. Since I came back to Nigeria, I’ve been into this act of stealing to sustain my drug habit. And I thank God for it,” Ibrahim said.
