One legged man arrested for robbery 

Felix Kuyinu

A robbery suspect identified as Akinola Akeem, a handicap with one leg has been charged before an Ejigbo Magistrate Court for robbery, an offence he was alleged to have committed in a Plaza in Lagos.

Akeem was said to have stormed Hub Plaza, located at Shasha area of Lagos state at about midnight, removed his artificial leg which he used in climbing over the ceiling of the building in order to gain entrance to two of the shops in the Plaza.

However, luck ran against the father of four after some security guards attached to the complex discovered the artificial leg and foot marks on the wall. While examining and searching around the Plaza, the guards were alerted by noise from one of the shops and raised alarm.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the 34-year-old suspect usually came from Ijebu-Ode, Ogun state to operate in Lagos.

Echonews visited the robbery scene and one of the guards, Sheu Sanusi, told our correspondent that the suspect had been into the act but met his waterloo when he attempted to invade the Plaza.

Narrating the robbery act and how the suspect was nabbed, Sanusi said, “He remained in the ceiling for over one hour, refusing to come down. After much threat to shoot him if he did not come down, he eventually did.

“He came down the same way he climbed. He used his artificial leg that was leaning on the wall as an aid. Nobody would have believed an amputee could do that.

“He admitted that he was going to steal and that he usually came from Ijebu-Ode to steal in Lagos. He begged us to allow him go, promising not to come there again. But we handed him to policemen at Shasha division.”

Akeem was charged to the Ejigbo Magistrate court for burglary, where he pleaded not guilty. He was granted bail by the Magistrate, Kayode Layeni, in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties.

He was, however, remanded in prison custody, pending when he would perfect the bail condition, while the case was adjourned till April 25.