Robbers left their equipment behind

The Ogun State Police Command said it foiled an attempt by some thieves to cart away money from an Automated Teller Machine, ATM, in a bank located within the premises of Mountain of Fire Ministry along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The Public Relations Officer for the command, Muyiwa Adejobi, made this known weekend while debunking speculation that the robbers who struck last Thursday at the scene were successful and made away with cash.

“The command wishes to put the records straight that the suspected robbers only attempted to break one of the ATMs in the MFM City in Ibafo area, Ogun State around 0120hrs of Thursday, 13 February 2014 before the arrival of the Ibafo Police team who dispersed the robbers. They fled the point hurriedly leaving their welding and breaking equipment behind,” Mr. Adejobi explained in a statement.

He added that equipment recovered at the scene included a cylinder containing methane gas, sledge hammers and a ladder.

“The police actually foiled the operation as nothing was taken away from the ATM, even the ATM machine, which was just loaded with money, was only slightly touched by welding fire and not damaged,” he said.

Mr. Adejobi said he never confirmed any robbery attack on a bank in MFM Prayer City.

“The command wishes to state that misuse of words is the greatest cause of errors; and we should remind ourselves that there is a great discrepancy between robbery attack and attempt to rob,” he stressed. “Hoodlums will always attempt to perpetrate their evil acts but the law enforcement agencies are always available to curtail them.”

He said, the police officers who responded to the distress calls and foiled the attempted ATM robbery were commended by the public.

“The command therefore appeals to the general public to disregard the speculation under reference and take note that the police will not allow any ugly incident to be recorded in the whole Ogun State as all hands are on deck to provide adequate security of lives and property for all and sundry in the state,” he said.