Vengeance pushed me into robbery –Suspect

Vengeance pushed me into robbery –Suspect

Posted by Sylvester on Saturday, February 8, 2014 0

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Ifeanyi Ibeabuchi is today a robbery suspect cooling his heels in the custody of the Enugu State Police Command. Before he ventured into robbery, he was a cobbler. He was reportedly driven into the act by sheer vengeance. 

It was reported that sometime in 2013, Ibeabuchi, 21, was a victim of robbery incident where he reportedly lost some valuables to some suspected robbers.

After overcoming this shock, Ibeabuchi, a native of Isiekenesi in Ideato South local Government Area of Imo State had vengeance at the back of his mind. But rather than move after the suspected robbers that brought his business to a seeming standstill, he claimed he resorted to robbery.

So, he gathered enough money to get himself a toy pistol for N200, from a cart pusher close to his Abakpa, Enugu home. Once he was armed with the rubber pistol, Ibeabuchi knew he needed to make it looked real and he immediately got it painted in black, making it look like a real lethal weapon. In no time, he hit the streets, trying his luck in armed robbery with the toy pistol.

Twice, he was lucky as he operated with the “weapon” along College Road, Abakpa area of the metropolis. On his first outing, he allegedly obtained a blackberry telephone from his victims, while days after, he succeeded in dispossessing another resident of his priced mobile telephone gadget again.

On his third outing as an armed robber, he unknowingly was face to face with a clergyman whom he had identified as his victim that fateful day. Unfortunately he was unable to carry out his heinous crime against the clergyman when the latter reportedly revealed his identity as a man of God.

Ibeabuchi later told law enforcement agents that the clergyman did everything in his power to have him converted from his evil ways and take the right path. With assurances that he would turn a new leaf, the clergyman reportedly let the sleeping dog lie.

But Ibeabuhi continued in his act. So, on Thursday, January 23, 2014, the men of the anti-kidnapping unit of the state police command reportedly received a distress call from a member of the public of a robbery attempt on a resident at Akubeze Street, Ogwuagor Abakpa in the metropolis. During the patrol of the area, the law enforcement agents reportedly arrested Ibeabuchi who was at the centre of it all.

In his confessional statement, Ibeabuchi revealed that the words of the clergyman actually had an impact in his life as he was at the verge of giving up on his new found trade of robbery.

In a statement, Ebere Amaraizu, Enugu State Police Command spokesman quoted Ibeabuchi as saying that he turned to robbery only recently in 2013 after he was robbed by some boys in the neighbourhood.

“He (Ibeabuchi) started robbery sometime in 2013 after he was allegedly robbed by some group of boys in Abakpa and that after the incident, he bought a rubber pistol from one barrow pusher at the rate of two hundred naira and repainted it to appear as a real pistol.

“He further disclosed that he had used it on three occasions which he itemised as follows: First was the one where he robbed a Tecno phone; second was the one he robbed a blackberry phone and lastly was his encounter with a pastor whom he also wanted to rob with his pistol before the pastor told him that he is a man of God and he allegedly knelt down to beg for forgiveness.”

Amaraizu, also claimed that Ibeabuchi is currently assisting law enforcement agents in their investigations as well as advising those in the ignoble profession especially youths, to shun all vices and to embrace good behaviours, admitting that evil acts are evil and destructive.

The police image maker also quoted the state commissioner of police as applauding the efforts of the security operatives who arrested Ibeabuchi.

The police boss also reportedly lauded members of he public for the information leading to the arrest of the suspect as well as the partnership of sister security agencies in the state in fighting crime and other vices.