How Gunmen trailed, robbed & shot Vanguard staff in Lagos

           

Vanguard’s Assistant Labour Editor, Victor Ahiuma-Young, was shot, Monday, by gunmen along Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, after robbing him of an undisclosed amount of money. Ahiuma-Young was attacked as he left the Sadiku branch of EcoBank Nigeria Plc, where he had gone to withdraw some money.

The two gunmen were said to have trailed him from the bank to a newspaper vendor’s stand where he intended to get some of the dailies. As he was about to pick some, one of the gunmen shot him in the thigh, ordering him to give him the money he went to withdraw.

In shock, Young turned to see who the intruder was, only to be fired at a second time. At that point, everyone at the busy bus-stop took to their heels, including commercial motorcyclists, leaving Young to his fate.

Young picked a stone and hurled it at his assailant. As he went for another, the gunman shot him in the hand, and the money he had gone to withdraw fell.

The gunman was said to have picked the money and jumped onto their operational motorcycle, where his partner was waiting, and they zoomed off, heading towards Berliet Bus Stop, leaving Young half-dead in a pool of his blood.

Despite passionate pleas from him, no one came to his aid. He staggered from the bus stop to May Clinic, located in the area, where kind-hearted doctors treated him.Thirteen pellets were extracted from his thigh, while moves to refer him to Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, were on.

Policemen from Olosan Division were said to have arrived the scene later and began to comb the area with a view to arresting the gunmen.

Police sources hinted that the Commissioner of Police, Kayode Aderanti, has directed investigation into the attack and also ordered intensive surveillance with a view to flushing out criminals from the area.

Information at Vanguard’s disposal revealed that yesterday’s scenario was not the first in that area. A month ago, a teenager whose father had given an unspecified amount withdrawn from same bank to take home had his wrist chopped off by gunmen operating on motorcycle and the money carted away.

Since November last year, over 15 attacks on bank customers had reportedly been witnessed between Sadiku and Berliet axis of the expressway.

A road side trader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said:

“In one of the attacks, the customer was lucky because anti-robbery policemen on patrol swooped on the gunmen.One of them was killed while the rest were arrested with gun wounds. That was September last year. We sell with fear here because of the rate of gun fights.

“Today’s (yesterday) took us unaware because the gunman walked up to his victim in the full glare of everyone and fired some shots. Nobody could help him because they were afraid.An attempt to help a victim last December almost cost the good Samaritan his life. We will appreciate it if Police will intensify patrol around here or station a patrol vehicle here.”