While others were still making merry to usher in the New Year, comic actor, John Okafor more popularly known as Mr Ibu had his home in Ajah ransacked
While others were still making merry to usher in the New Year, comic actor, John Okafor more popularly known as Mr Ibu had his home in Ajah ransacked and his valuable properties carted away over the weekend. Mr Ibu who was away at the time of the incident, was said to have left behind his wife, grandmother, housemaid and children, who were sleeping when the hoodlums struck. The assailants were said to have gained entry through an opening in the house, which was under renovation at about 3am.
Although no one was injured, the robbers numbering about six emptied Mr Ibu’s house of valuables. They held his family hostage as they took time to steal money in the house, as well as 12 wristwatches, laptops, phones, jewellery, shoes and clothes, among others. They also took away all the Automated Teller Machine cards in the house, after forcefully obtaining the PINs from Okafor’s wife. The incident has since been reported to the police at the Ajah division.
According to reports, Mr Ibu who was in the East for some social functions was renovating his house and the burglar-proof bar that was not fixed that day was where they came in through. Twelve wristwatches, money, all the phones and laptops in the house, shoes and clothes were stolen. Three of the wristwatches are said to be worth N6.5m.
Although the suspects had been arrested based on some blurred black and white images from the Closed-Circuit Television cameras in the house, their culpability is yet to be established. The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Chike Oti, confirmed the incident, adding that two of the suspects had been arrested.
“Two of the suspects were arrested by our men from the Festac division, who were on patrol at the time of the incident. Two others escaped. The suspects have been transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, while investigations are ongoing. Efforts have been intensified to arrest the fleeing suspects.”
Mr Ibu was reported to have said that he suspected that the hoodlums were hired to kill him, adding that they asked for his whereabouts during the one hour attack. He also reportedly said the N1m cash meant for the renovation of his house was stolen.
