Fifteen to twenty

“Your hands on your heads all you and move over to that side. Get up you, move over to that side. You open those doors. All of you inside, inside.”

“Where are they? Where are they? Where are they?” Everyone ignored them and one woman that was hitted on the head with butt was particularly angry with the police, was the first to reply.

“You came here twenty minutes later asking about thieves that left fifteen minutes ago?. You were called long time ago from where they locked us in and you said you are on your way, what delay you for twenty minutes?”

“Madam, you don’t understand the protocols involved. We need to sign a lot of papers to be allowed to equip ourselves well. But no problem, we will get them. Which way did you said they followed, and how many were they?”

Nigeria police’s modus operendi is that, when they are informed that criminal were operating in a particular area, they will give themselves fifteen to twenty minutes before responding. If they happened to be around that vicinity, they will move further away from the crime scene counting fifteen to twenty minutes before coming there. Reason according to them they were ill equipped. The criminal you called to confront has more superior fire power than they. So, they coming there that moment is tantamount to committing sucide.

As they were in the bank taking notes, Osunbor was in Ojelegba food market sharing 50 percent of the money he made away with from the bank. As far as he is concerned restriction done immediately, properly, has a way of not only bringing immediate blessing too. This is the wisdom that most in his profession don’t have. Some that have knowledge of it put it into practice. He Osunbor the great has found a great way of duping god and man. 'Always hold them to their words, when it is time to balance equation, they will be the ones found waiting.'

His education was done in the village, it came to an end in second year in secondary school. He had tried to learn hand craft that came to an end in his second year as an apprentice. The carpentery work he was into was not what he believed that will lead him to his destiny, he believed rightly and strongly to be philanthropy. He has ended it on his own after observing his poor master for long. Being superstitious in nature, he believed that if being a great teacher includes handing over all you have, he don’t want to be a great student from the man. He suspects that the man will not only transfer his skills to him but his poverty also. He decided to cut that rope and found his way. To be rich in certain lines of production business, you must think like Chinese: always find a way to make the life span of whatever you are producing not to extend beyond two year, only then can you refers to the buyers as your customer. Outside that, sorry for you.

He found his way to Lagos, after making motor parks his sleeping quarters for a year, he joined group that load buses going to other regions. From tampering with some passengers luggage while loading it, to out rightly stealing the bags. He was sacked by the park owners and he found himself without work for almost six months, his savings went down and he joined one chance drivers and learnt not only how to drive, dispossess but also to shoot.

This phenomenon known as one chance is a process in which the criminals organize themselves in groups; one of their members will present his bus for other members to fill up the chairs leaving only one chair or two vacant. Then, they will be driving all over the city looking for potential victim. Once they spot anyone they believe to be rich, the driver will be shouting “one chance, one chance”. If the victim is ignorance of what is happening and enters the bus, half way through the journey the victim will be dispossed of his belongs and push out of the speeding bus.

Osunbor joined these guys learnt a lot of things from them and in his second year with them, he served their rope and went his way. He considered most of them ambitionless. Living from hands to mouth is not what he came to Lagos to do. “If one must eat frog, why not then eat the fattest one, if anyone happens to call you frog eater once, you will answer loudly twice”. He learnt also from mingling with the groups that anything that their eye sees, ear hear must come out their mouth. He was thanking God for not revealing his true name and state to them. Secrecy is not only hallmark of successful government, but successful criminals too. For one year, he distanced himself from that part of Lagos while remaining low key. He bought AK-47 from traders returning from trip to Sudan; normalize himself on how to use it. 

He took the gun back to Benin with ease and added the feat to the sign that heaven for sure is in support of his plans and actions. From Lagos to Benin, eight road blocks and none even searched any bus. Officers stretched their hands and drivers extends his and journey continues smoothly. There is wisdom in launching one’s sole proprietorship from your state; at least, spirit of your ancestors will be near to ward off any unforeseen surprises. He picked up the bank that is not densely populated area, monitored the goings and comings for three days, assured himself that once he is able to walk inside it with gun, he will be able to walk out with not less than two million.

On the fourth day, he drove the Santana 89 model he stole from the mechanic workshop near the hotel he stays in, fill it up with fuel he bought last night in a gallon and went to work. Thirty minutes later, he was in an orphanage donating Two Hundred Thousand naira and in old people’s home donating hundred thousand. He went to the restaurant where he eats, bought three air conditioners and flat television for the lady. All three though that he returned from abroad. Restriction done, he went and open another account in another branch of the bank he robbed. He considers the move to be intelligent. He had earlier, disposed of the car he stole and even hired even cheaper car. He spent one more week in Benin following the investigation moves of the officers. He knew that the Nigerian police works when what they are investigating concerns themselves or aso rocks. Anything outside these two,It is story that has only beginning but no tangible end.

He went back to Lagos, carrying five hundred thousand in cash and AK-47 without any police disturbance for two and half hours journey. Osunbor is still surprise on how easy it is to become rich suddenly and instantly . this is the eleventh bank he is robbing in a year plus now, he has about seventeen million In his account, if you add five hundred thousand dollars he gave the lady he eats at her restaurant to keep, “ is it not almost hundred million naira?” all these in less than two years. What is most surprising to him is how unwilling most people were to die for their country. He had advised this method of changing naira he stole into dollar before loading it with the lady in Benin. The lady believed seriously that he and the money had returned from abroad. Dollar alone has its own way of shutting peoples thinking ability off.

Officers in Lagos where ten of the robberies had taken place had been racking their heads for long, following wrong leads for almost two years. A break came for them only when Lagos state governor decided that his state is being useless by a bunch of nobodies because useless officers were incompetent. He requested help from Abuja and five federal officers were sent to him. The governor promise reward of one million to anyone that has any information to solve any of the robberies.

Within on e week, they had more than one million tips and officers narrowed the tip-offs down to the most significant and divided themselves into groups to follow the tip offs. So, two federal officer were in unmarked car driving on the interstate high way heading to Benin.