Lagos Bureau de Change Operators loose over N39M to Robbery

Victims of Sunday serial robbery operations in many parts of Lagos, southwest Nigeria, have been counting their loses running into millions of naira and thousands of foreign currencies.

Worst hit are bureau de change operators in Oke Koto, Agege, Lagos where 60-year old Alhaji Muktaru Muhammadu Yaya was a key operator and a victim.

Alhaji Muktaru told P.M.NEWS today that he lost N25 million in local currency another £153,000 (about N39 million) to the eight robbers who were armed to the teeth and stormed his office at about 10.30 a.m. yesterday.

“I was sitting in front of my shop at Oke Koto, Agege. My boy was inside. Suddenly, I saw the robbers in two SUVs. They shot into the air several times. They grabbed me, pulled me inside, and demanded for money. They had sophisticated weapons on them.

“They pointed their guns at me. Two of them also with guns ransacked my shop. They saw the two ‘Ghana Must Go’ bags where we kept the monies and carted them into their waiting SUVs. They confidently went into the next shop where they shot Muktaru Jubrila and Abdullahi Gaddo on the legs. Both are presently undergoing treatment at the hospital. They operated in our area without any hinderance for about 40 minutes,” Alhaji Muktaru narrated.

The businessman from Kabadagin Local Government Area of Kebbi State, Nothwest Nigeria, lamented that the robbers carted away all he had laboured for in life.

“I have lost all that I laboured for.  I have three wives and 10 children. How will I survive now? When I wanted to go out later yesterday, I had to beg for N200. Please, I need assistance from well-meaning people and the Lagos state government. I pray that Allah gives me the grace to cope with the situation.”

Another victim in Agege area, Mallam Garuba Mukaila, 35, said the money changers did not run away because they thought the robbers were policemen.

He said, “I was sleeping when the robbers came. While I was trying to dodge the bullets from the robbers, I fell down and my right hand was injured.”

Another money changer at Agege, Alhaji Mohammed Ibrahim expressed fears that the robbers might come back, saying “we want Governor Fashola to beef up security in this area because we always face a lot of problems.”

http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2012/09/10/how-we-lost-millions-to-robbers-bureau-de-change-operators/