Guards help robbers to steal from pharmaceutical firm

The suspects

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested two security guards, Ali Salifu and Eno Kela, with seven others for allegedly robbing pharmaceutical company, May and Baker, in Ikeja Indusrial Estate.

Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, told PUNCH Metro that the arrested guards gave other security men in the company some packs of juice laced with a banned drug, Rohypnol, to make them sleep when the robbery was taking place.

She added that policemen attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad were, however, able to foil the operation after some hours of surveillance.

She said, “On August 24, 2013, SARS operatives received information that some robbers were planning to rob May and Baker at Ikeja. Around 9pm, the robbers had duplicated a key to the warehouse where the company’s products were kept. We learnt that some of the security guards had connived with the robbers after being promised N200,000.

“The robbers also gave the security men laced juice and told them to give it to other security men at the company to make them sleep. The robbers came in two trucks and were loading cartons of two expensive drugs, Sulphatride and Thyzamide, into the trucks when they were apprehended.

“Policemen from SARS stormed the place and foiled the robbery. The robbers, who were in possession of two AK-47 rifles, immediately threw their guns into the warehouse when they saw the policemen.

“The robbers and the prospective buyer of the stolen goods have all been arrested.”

The suspects, however, said they were not armed during the robbery.

The security guards also denied complicity. They said they did not know that a robbery was taking place on the premises until policemen arrived at the scene.

Salifu said, “They had approached me before, saying they wanted to rob and they would give me N200, 000 but I refused. On the day they came, they told me they were going to another company. I did not know they came to rob.”

The suspect accused of masterminding the operation, Olanrewaju Simeon, said this was his second time of robbing the company.

Simeon, who claimed to have been in charge of the company’s security before his dismissal in 2011, said he was expecting N1m from the operation.

He said, “I have been jobless since I was asked to leave the company in 2011. But I understand how things are done at the company. Last year, I successfully robbed the place and made N1m. This year, I got in touch with another security guard at the company, Richard, who gave me the go ahead to rob.

“May and Baker shares the compound with five other companies, so the security guards at the main gate are different from those attached to May and Baker. I understood this very well and Richard told me that he would get some drinks, inject them with Rohypnol and give them to the security guards at May and Baker, telling them that he was celebrating his birthday.

“Richard demanded N50, 000 from me and then introduced me to the other guards (Salifu and Kela). I gave them N50,000 and they remained at the main gate to ensure that the robbery was successful. Unfortunately, policemen caught and arrested us. Richard however managed to escape.”

The proposed buyer, Ejike Ehiri, 62, said he did not know he was buying stolen goods since Simeon had pretended to be a medical sales representative.

The father of nine said, “I bought drugs from him (Simeon) last year at the cost of N400,000. I did not know the goods were stolen. It was not until SARS operatives arrived at my house that I knew he was a robber.”

Another suspect, James Imoha, who claimed to be a graduate of Mechanical Engineering from Auchi Polytechnic, said he did not know that he was engaging in a robbery operation.

He said he had only been invited by a friend to convey the goods from the warehouse to a truck at midnight