Tag: Bullion Van

Bullion van impounded with N24 million inside returned to owners

The Ogun Area Command II of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Friday said it has released a bullion van the Service impounded with the sum of N24.4 million inside.

TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the bullion van was impounded in April 2022 after it was found loaded with 12 50kg bags of smuggled foreign parboiled rice.

According to the Customs Area Controller, Olusola Alade, the bullion van was discovered to belong to an Abeokuta branch of Access Bank.

Speaking with newsmen in Abeokuta, Alade disclosed the money and the van, which has the registration number FKJ 993 BZ, have now been handed over to officials of Bankers Warehouse Ltd. and Access Bank in Abeokuta.

“The bullion van belongs to Bankers Warehouse and was impounded on April 22, 2022 by a joint border patrol team along the Sokoto-ljoun/Joga road in the Abeokuta axis.

“The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, has now ordered the release of the bullion van and the money to both the Bankers Warehouse and Access Bank on compassionate ground after investigation,” Alade said.

The Area Controller added that three suspects were arrested and charged to court in connection with the crime.

“The seized foreign parboiled rice which were 12 bags of 50kg each were carefully concealed in the said vehicle.

“Consequently, the said vehicle and the items were conveyed to the Customs House in Abeokuta for safekeeping.

“After conducting examination on the vehicle, the said amount of money was discovered and deposited at the Abeokuta branch of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for safekeeping.

“The vehicle was detained while the rice was converted to seizure in line with Section 168 of Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023.

“In connection to the above seizures, three suspects were arrested, detained, granted administrative bail and subsequently charged to court for aiding smuggling,” he explained.

Alade added that the Bankers Warehouse Ltd and Access Bank later wrote an appeal letter to the Customs’ Comptroller-General for the release of both the van and money on compassionate ground.

“This was in a bid to retrieve the detained van and the money, and based on the outcome of investigation and recommendations of the Investigation Unit of the NCS, the Comptroller-General granted an approval for the release of the detained van and the money.

“This is in line with the provision of section 248 (1) and (2) of NCS Act, 2023,” he said.

January 5, 2024
How bullion vans “missed” its way into Tinubu’s house on eve of 2019 presidential election

The Lagos State Organising Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ayodele Adewale, has explained that the bullion vans seen driving into Bola Tinubu’s residence on the eve of the 2019 presidential election “missed” their “way there.”

The APC scribe while speaking during an interview on Arise TV on Thursday said the bullion van matter had been put to rest a long time ago.

“On the bullion van or no bullion van and all of that, I think that matter has been put to rest. There was no money in the bullion van. The bullion vans that even came missed their way to have come there.

“I was in that house on that very day and it was not on an election day. The bullion vans missed their way to have come there,” he said.

Defending the incident further, Adewale said, “There are some companies that have high (number of) staff (members); that pay their staff with cash; that bullion van missed its way there, and it was not invited by Asiwaju or anybody.”

Some pictures had gone viral on social media on the eve of the 2019 elections showing two bullion vans making their way into Tinubu’s premises in Lagos.

Meanwhile, Adewale’s position was at variance with the justification of the APC standard bearer in 2019. Tinubu had, while responding to those asking questions about the presence of bullion vans at his residence in Bourdillon, Ikoyi, said he could keep his money wherever he wanted.

Tinubu said this while fielding questions from journalists shortly after casting his vote in 2019.

He said, “Excuse me, is it my money or government money? I don’t work for the government. I am not in an agency of government and let anyone come out to say I have collected contract from the government of President Muhammadu Buhari or the APC in the last five years. They should prove it.

“I am on my own and I am committed to my party. So, even if I have money to spend on my premises, what is your headache? If I don’t represent any agency of government and I have money to spend, if I like, I give it to the people free of charge as long as it is not to buy votes.

“Who are those monitoring my house or bullion vans? They must be mischief makers because they report falsehoods. They are liars and idle.”

Defending this as well on Thursday, Ayodele noted that Tinubu was only joking about it.

January 27, 2023
How we arrested bullion van robbery suspects who carted away N390m – Police

The Abia Police Command has arrested 10 members of a dare-devil armed robbery gang that allegedly robbed a bullion van on July 26 and carted away about N390 million.

The Commissioner of Police, Janet Agbede, said that the suspects belonged to a 14-member gang that specialised in bullion van robbery in different parts of the country.

She said that they were arrested at different times and locations in Abia, Delta, Lagos, Ondo, Rivers, and Imo.

Parading the suspects before newsmen at the command’s headquarters in Umuahia on Monday, she said that the arrest was made possible by “a special intelligence, technologically-led investigation squad”.

She said that the squad was set up in the aftermath of the July attack, which occurred at Ntigha Junction on the Isialangwa axis of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway.

Agbede said: “I carefully studied their modus operandi and set up a special intelligence, technologically-led investigation squad, with a clear directive to arrest and recover weapons used by the deadly armed gang.

“Consequently, the squad systematically commenced operation, applying speed and accuracy.”

According to her, the effort of the squad led to the arrest of the suspects at different locations and days.

Agbede said that the suspects confessed to the crime “in their individual voluntary statements.”

She also said that the suspects confessed to have robbed bullion vans in Ajah in Lagos, Akure Road in Ondo State, Asaba and Mbaise in Imo.

She said the suspects confessed that the Abia attack was executed after they successfully mounted about two months surveillance on the bullion van.

The suspects included Adesoji Adeniyi, aka “Soji”, and Albert Nwachukwu, aka “White”, arrested in Lagos State.

Others were Felix Ajalaja, Moshood Opeyemi, aka “Abiola”, and Azubuike Amaefule, aka “Zubby”, arrested in Rivers.

The rest were Nnamdi Nwaosu, aka “Prophet”, Monday Samuel, aka “MD”, and Matthew Christmas, aka “Aluwa”, arrested in Imo, Ondo and Delta, respectively.

Other suspects were two brothers from Abia, Chikwendu and Prosper Israel, who were arrested in Abia.

Prosper told newsmen that he joined his brother in criminal activities after he was dismissed from the Department of State Services.

Weapons recovered from the suspects included one General Purpose Machine Gun with 53 rounds of live ammunition, 13 AK47 rifles with 1,749 live ammunition, two improvised explosive dynamites.

Others were one Cut-to-size double barrel gun with five live cartridges and 84 AK47 magazines.

The operatives also impounded a Mercedes Benz truck allegedly used by the gang to conceal their firearms.

They also recovered N10,184,000 from the suspects out of the N390 million allegedly stolen from the bullion van.

The state police chief said that investigation was still in progress to ensure the arrest of other members of the gang still at large.

Recalled that the affected bullion van was conveying cash from a bank in Aba to Umuahia, when it reportedly ran into a blockade mounted by the robbers.

Police confirmed that the robbers shot and killed the bank’s Cash Officer, while three of the escort policemen sustained bullet injuries.

They also confirmed that one of the gunmen was neutralised during the gun battle that ensued.

Meanwhile, Agbede has appealed to Abia residents to continue to assist the command with useful and timely information to enable it take proactive steps in fighting crime.

She said that the command had devised strategies to restore adequate security in Umunneochi and other parts of Abia that had become notorious for kidnapping and banditry.

September 19, 2022
Osun Guber: Bullion van sighted at Polling Unit

A bullion van has been sighted at a polling unit in CAC Grammar School, Osogbo while voting is about to start at the ongoing Osun guber race.

It was gathered that there have been speculations by the electorate that countless bullion vans are now in Osun

Candidate of the Accord party, Dr.Akin Ogunbiyi, on Thursday during an interview with TVC confirmed that bullion vans from Lagos are in Osun allegedly masterminded by APC to buy vote.

Also, CSOs had raised alarm on Friday that Osun guber election maybe marred by vote buying and security challenges.

Osun Guber: Bullion van sighted at Polling Unit

A bullion van has been sighted at a polling unit in CAC Grammar School, Osogbo while voting is about to start at the ongoing Osun guber race.

It was gathered that there have been speculations by the electorate that countless bullion vans are now in Osun

Candidate of the Accord party, Dr.Akin Ogunbiyi, on Thursday during an interview with TVC confirmed that bullion vans from Lagos are in Osun allegedly masterminded by APC to buy vote.

Also, CSOs had raised alarm on Friday that Osun guber election maybe marred by vote buying and security challenges.

July 16, 2022
Armed Robbers attack empty bullion van in Imo

Men of the underworld have attacked a bullion van returning to Owerri from Ogbor-Nguru in Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State.

The robbery incident happened around the General hospital,Ogbor-Nguru around 1:30pm on Thursday, an eye witness Kennedy Onwunali told Journalists.

According to him, he said the robbers fired gun shots at the van from Ahiara junction and forced it to somersault near the General Hospital

He said the brave driver of a new generation bank escaped death with a bank official and a police escort when the van somersaulted a bit far from the assailants.

He explained that the robbers were not able to loot the van because It was not carrying money.

Michael Abattam the Imo state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), confirmed the incident and said the sketchy information at his disposal indicates the bullion van was returning after delivering money and was attacked by hoodlums.

It was further gathered that the Police Area Command in Mbaise later launched a manhunt for the fleeing robbers, with the assurance that they would be arrested.

April 28, 2022
Robbers attack bullion van, kill 2 police officers, 2 civilians in Ibadan

Armed robbers numbering about seven on Thursday at about 1.00 p.m. attacked a bullion van around Idi Ape area of Ibadan, killed two police officers, two civilians and made away with unspecified amount of money.

the bullion van was coming from Iwo Road Area when it was attacked by the robbers who shot sporadically into the air to scare the passersby.

An eyewitness who preferred anonymity said that the robbers drove in a white Sienna space bus from where they engaged the police officers escorting the van in a gun duel.

The witness said that two police officers lost their lives while others got injured during the cross fire and stray bullet also killed two other civilians that included a motorcyclist.

The witness said that the robbers later forced the bullion van open with a gun and carted away unspecified amount of money.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Ngozi Onadeko, who visited the scene of the crime confirmed the death of two police officers, saying they were shot in the neck.

Onadeko also said that the officers killed one of the robbers but the corpse was taken away by the robbery gang.

She said that the state had been locked down to prevent the robbers from escaping from the state.

The CP said that the police in conjunction with other security agencies in the state were collaborating to arrest the robbers, adding that more details would be provided to the public on the matter.

February 10, 2022
[GRAPHIC PHOTO] Robbers open fire on bullion van in Ondo; cart away cash, kill policeman, driver

Dare-devil armed robbers have attacked another bullion van on the outskirts of Ondo State along the Lagos-Ore expressway.

The robbers were said to have opened fire on the bullion van at about 1 pm on Wednesday (today), while on its way to Araromi-Obu in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo from Edo State.

The Police Public Relations Officer in Ondo, Funmilayo Odunlami, confirmed the incident.

Corpses of the slain policeman and driver of the bullion van

She stated that the robbers killed two persons – a policeman attached to the van and the driver of the vehicle.

Odunlami added that two other policemen on the team sustained gunshot injuries and were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

She disclosed that the remains of the policeman and the driver killed have been deposited at a mortuary in the state.

The command’s spokesperson also confirmed that the robbers succeeded in carting away an unspecified amount of cash from the bullion van.

She said a detachment of policemen has been drafted to the area and the operatives were on the trail of the robbers.

TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that Wednesday’s robbery comes a week after a bullion van was attacked at the Emure-Ile Junction along the Akure-Owo Highway.

A policeman was also shot during the incident which occurred on Wednesday last week, although the bullion van was not conveying any cash when it was attacked by robbers.

August 25, 2021
Armed robbers attack empty bullion van in Ondo, shoot policeman

Armed robbers attacked a bullion van along the Akure/Owo Highway in Ondo State on Wednesday, shooting a policeman in the process.

Public Relations Officer of Ondo State Police Command, DCP Funmi Odunlami said the attack occurred close to Emure-Ile junction along the highway.

The robbers were however unable to cart away any funds as the bullion van was not carrying any cash when they struck, Odunlami added.

Meanwhile, a team of policemen has been deployed to the area to apprehend the armed robbers and the injured policeman is being treated at a nearby hospital.

August 18, 2021
Bullion van: Go after Tinubu now, Adeyanju tells EFCC in wake of Lagos anti-corruption law

A new law passed by the Lagos state house of assembly and signed by Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the governor, will establish an anti-corruption agency that has the “exclusive” rights to probe cases of corruption that have to do with the state

Deji Adeyanju, the convener of pro-democracy, good governance and human rights group, Concerned Nigerians, on Friday advised the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to beam her searchlight on the former Governor of Lagos State, Ahmed Bola Tinubu over alleged grand corruption.

Adeyanju, in the letter addressed to the Chairman of the Commission on Friday, said there is a clandestine lot to shield Tinubu from being held to account for alleged corruption he is accused of in Lagos.

The letter reads thus: “LAGOS ANTI-CORRUPTION LAW- GO AFTER TINUBU NOW The above subject matter refers. We write in view of recent development by Lagos State Government to establish an anti-corruption commission.

As you must be aware, this move is not to ensure accountability and transparency in the state civil service but to permanently and tactically shield the Lagos Landlord, Bola Ahmed Tinubu from prosecution.

The position of the law and several judicial interpretations on the subject matter is clear. The Commission can investigate anyone for corrupt practices in the country.

“We, therefore, urge you to be courageous and go after Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Nigerians generally do not take EFCC seriously any longer because of the perceived one-sided anti-corruption fight. Going after Tinubu will show that things are now different under you. Find attached our bullion vans petition against Mr. Tinubu, dated 25th October, 2019 for your kind consideration. We are aware of several other corruption allegations and petitions against the former Lagos State governor and his successors which were never investigated.”

May 7, 2021
Robbers attack bullion van in Ondo

Suspected armed robbers have attacked a bullion van along Ondo/Akure express way of Ondo state.

The incident happened in Bolorunduro axis of Ondo East Local government Area on Thursday.

The robbery attack, which started at around few minutes past 5:00pm at Elemoso village, it was gathered lasted for close to an hour, until the robbers accomplished their mission and fled from the scene.

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Ondo state police command, Tee-Leo Ikoro said the bullion van was conveying money from Ondo to Akure.

He said the robbers succeeded in over powering the security personnel escorting the Van.

Ikoro said the robbers escaped with a Lexus SUV, adding that no life was lost in the incident.

He assured that the police is already on the trail of the Robbers.

Eyewitnesses said the robbers succeeded in carting away all the money in the bullion van.

May 7, 2021