An engineer identified as Sanmi Ige was this Tuesday morning killed by suspected armed robbers who invaded his Lagos residence. The incident occurred around 4:00 a.m., at 2, Herbert Macaulay Street, by Oloto Street, Ebute Metta. While an eight-man gang allegedly stormed the street, three of the robbers armed with guns and cutlasses reportedly marched to the topmost floor of the two- storey building, where Ige lived to wreak havoc.They tore his door net, broke the door handle before entering to attack Ige, whose blood was seen on his bed.

According to neighbours, the hoodlums ransacked the deceased’s home and carted away his television set, phones, laptop and money. The Nation gathered that the deceased, who worked at BHS International, a construction firm, was heard pleading with his attackers to spare his life.

A neighbor, who refused to be named, said, “Sanmi was shouting I am your son, please, why are you doing this to me. He was also begging them to take everything but leave the laptop. “We heard a gunshot while the robbers were inside his room. We don’t know if they shot at him there. But when they were leaving, Sanmi followed them down. He was naked and begging them to give him the laptop. He knelt down and was begging them but one short man who was among the robbers shot him on the head.”

Aside the deceased, it was learnt that the robbers also attacked a 70-year-old woman, Mrs. Medinat Obalola and took her phone and money. According to the woman, they woke her from sleep, after breaking into her residence.

She said: “I locked the door and slept but they broke into my house. My husband, Alhaji Obalola was sleeping in the balcony. That’s where he usually sleeps whenever there’s no light. The robbers didn’t see him.

“As I was sleeping, someone woke me up and they were three. They told me they were not here to joke that I should bring out my money and phone. They showed me guns and cutlasses that they would use it on me if I fail to comply. They took my phone, collected my money and removed our television set. They told me to lie down with my face on the ground. My two-year-old grand-daughter, who woke up while the robbery was going on, was marched on the floor.

“The robbers also used their cutlass to whip my son, Muri, who was on the bed because he tried to look at their faces. Then, they collected his money and phone too. When they left our house, I wanted to go to the balcony to tell my husband what has happened so that he doesn’t come out and encounter them but they heard the sound of the door and shouted at me that they will smash my head with their gun.

“It was from our house that they now went to the engineer’s place. It’s true that we heard gunshot while they were inside his house. We also heard him begging them to spare his life. This is a horrible incident. It is the first time I am witnessing something like this in all my years in this neighbourhood.”

The woman’s daughter, Mrs. Zainab Olarenwaju, who said she went for a vigil, described the deceased as a very quiet tenant.

Source: The Nation