Some little home news for your weekend entertainment. Enjoy!
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Weekend Interview
STARTLING CONFESSIONS OF A ROBBER: How we killed Lai Balogun
The Vanguard
Saturday, 7th July, 2001
BY Emma Nnadozie

What happened in front of Union Bank at Lewis Street, Lagos on Tuesday was a new twist in public reaction to robbery incidents. A gang of 15-armed robbers, dressed in military uniforms invaded the bank in the early hours of the day and started to carry out their operation. Some of the members of the gang who were clad in military uniform with the accompanying sophisticated weapons stood guard in front of the bank while the rest went into the banking hall pretending to be genuine customers.

Unfortunately for the bandits, a vigilant policeman on guard in a near-by-motor company noticed their movement and suspected foul play. He cleverly took arm and gunned one of them down. The rest of the bandits panicked and surged out but not before the gunshot attracted the attention of both passers-by including the dreaded Area Boys and policemen on patrol.

What followed later was like a movie from Hollywood as the Areas Boys challenged the heavily armed robbers with broken bottles and cudgels. In the ensuing face-off, five of the rampaging bandits were arrested and lynched while the rest shot their way out of the street which had been barricaded.

Few hours later, the robbers engaged the police in a another shoot-out at Empire Hotel in Surulere where they attempted to take refuge. Police succeeded in killing another member of the gang but one of them who was visibly limping on one leg surrendered and came out of his hiding, with his automatic gun hanging loosely on his lean shoulder.

At the Police Command headquarters in Ikeja where he was later paraded with the lifeless body of his colleague-in-crime lying beside him, this lone survivor kept on issuing threats to the police in spite of the state of his side-step which was shattered by bullet wound he received during the operation.

He particularly challenged a policeman on mufti who derided him by asking what he had gained by robbing people. The policeman told him: "See your leg, that is the result of bad thing." But the thief quickly hit back: "Your leg no pass my own. Na because you be police! I still dey, so no rejoice." When asked if he could identify the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro who was watching him, the suspect retorted: "Who be that one self? I no wan know am."

His name is Kassim Atunrase, an Ogun State indigene who later spoke to Vanguard’s Crime Correspondent, Emman Nnadozie on a wide range of issues including how they killed former presiential aspirant, Chief Lai Balogun.

Excerpts:

Who are you really?

My name is Kassim Atunrase. I come from Ogun Sate. My mother is Ganiyatu while my father’s name is Idowu.

Where are they living now?

My mother is dead but my father is in Lagos.

When did your mother die?

I was 7 to 8 years old when she died. I was born on August 4, 1979. My mother had four children for my father and I am the only son among the four.

What type of work does your father do?

My father is into import and export business. He lives in Agarawa in Lagos Island.

Do you live with him?

No, I live in Mile 12. I left my father’s house in 1995.

Why did you leave your father’s house?

I was going to school that time and each time my teacher asked us to bring something to school, my father would not give it to me. Then it got to a time he told me he couldn’t send me to school again because he had no money to support me and asked me to go and learn to be a motor mechanic.

After I finished learning the trade, he refused to give me the initial money to set up my own shop. To assist me in any other way became difficult for him because he said that he had no money.

So, when I saw that I couldn’t take it any longer, I ran away from the house in order to try to fend for myself. In the process, I started following a musician. From there, I started doing odd jobs as a dustbin disposer. After one year of disposing dust-bin at Ijora Badiya, one day around 9 pm I returned home to rest in the house of the person who was accommodating me in Boundary at Marine Bridge.

But some policemen suddenly raided the place and took me to where they charged me for wandering and from there I was taken to Ikoyi Prison where I spent one year and three months. This was in 1998.

So, I went back to join my musician friend. I used to collect money for the musician for about four months before I later joined another man in Ikoyi who claimed that he used to snatch chains at Mile 2 bus stop.

Now, tell me, how did you get into this robbery thing?

I was doing it for sometimes when along the line the person that taught me the job was caught and lynched on the spot by members of the O’odua People’s Congress (OPC). After his demise, I went back to Marine Bridge to stay.

But one day, I went to Mile 12 where I saw many people. I sat down and bought a N5 hot drink. From there I joined the group that used to pick people’s pockets. That’s where I met Legburu and Ibro (the suspects that killed Lai Balogun).

Did you say Chief Lai Balogun?

The first time I went out to pick pockets with them, we did not get any money. Same for the second time. The third time operation was the Lai Balogun incident. By then, we did not know he was Chief Lai Balogun. During the operation at Balogun’s house, I stood outside to watch if the police or anybody was coming because the others were my bosses. I collected any proceeds they gave me from our sweat.

So, when they came down from Chief’s (Balogun’s) house, Ibro said that they did not make any money. It was later I heard that some robbers killed Lai Balogun and from there I ran to Jos. But before I fled to Jos, I went to Mile 2 Oke, where I cut the chain of one rich woman. I was pursued that day and I ran into a nearby Army Barracks which made me to escape.

I later went to sell the chain for N28,000 and went to Jos where I wandered about till I had exhausted the loot down to N2,230.

Sometimes, I slept in a lodge or outside because Hausa musicians were many in Jos where they sang all night long. From there, I boarded a bus back to Lagos with the sum of N1,700. I came back to Lagos just two weeks ago.

On arrival, I went to Mile 12 where I met one boy named Aiyepe. I told him that I have a job for him at Lagos Island where Malams used to change dollars. From there, he asked me to go and spy another place. The first place I spied was a filling station at Sand-Grouse. At the filling station, I saw them carrying a large sum of money from the station. I reported back to him, the ringleader.

So, last Sunday, we went together to recruit some boys for the operations. From there we struck a deal that I should go and wait at the place on Tuesday around 9A.M. saying they will meet me there. On Tuesday, they met me there but changed their mind that the filling station would not have enough money that would mean anything.

So, he said that they wanted to rob the other in the front. As we got there, not quite 30 minutes, the policemen arrived. The ringleader turned to me and accused me of setting them up saying that I had betrayed them and that I must pay for it. Suddenly he shot me in the leg.

They wanted to leave me behind but I jumped into their bus and as they were trying to push me down, I begged to go with them. As we were going, the police pursued us into a Barrack where I was dodging and as the police were combing the surrounding, I then surrendered myself to them. Their boss ordered the others not to shoot me. That was how they brought me to the station.

What informed your going to Jos of all places?

It was because the police were looking for the killers of Lai Balogun.

Before you embark on an operation, how do you prepare?

The leader only asks us to stay in a particular place and returns with a nylon bag containing weapons and shares it to us. After the operation, the leader, Legburu returns the weapons.

How many people have you killed?

Since I have been going out with the gang, I never handled a gun not to talk of killing. I always watched for any danger in order to alert them because they thought if they let me handle gun, I would run away with it. In other wards, I worked like an information officer to the gang.

How do you get information?

I always go to watch ahead of the operations

What is the name of your gang?

They called me Kassim "Aketan" (person with a bowleg).

Do you smoke?

I only smoke cigarette while the ring leaders smoke cigarette and Indian Hemp

How do you feel when you kill somebody?

I told you I have never handled a gun before. Even the incident at Lai Balogun, when I heard the gun shot, I asked from Ibro who shot. They did not tell me anything. They did not give me even a penny for the operation.

(Sobbing) I challenged them why they had to kill the innocent man. I did not feel good. In fact, the mess I am into now was caused by my father’s indifference to my needs and welfare.

At what level did you drop out of school?

I dropped out when I was in SSS1 in Kingado High School, Lagos Island.

If you see God now, what will you tell him?

I will tell Him to forgive me and to help me.

What will you do if the police authorities decide to leave you now?

Ah! If the police can leave me now, I will turn a new leaf and be a police informant. And I will do legal business.

Where will you get money?

Well, I will go back to my village and farm.

What advice can you give police to catch thieves?

If the police see those that normally put car phone in their ears, such people are robbers.

Why do you say that?

Because armed robbers normally like to put on such ear phones and small radios in their pockets. Others wear expensive materials, such as expensive designer things. Some of them do not wear clothes at all, they just wear thorn clothes.

Have you killed any policeman before?