LAWRENCE ANINI, Nigeria’s Most Notorious Armed Robber Part 4 Click here for it
HIS TRIAL
Since one of his legs was amputated, he had to be conveyed to the courtroom for his trial on a wheelchair. During Anini and his gang's trial before Justice James Omo-Agege in Court Room 2 (Justice Amissah held proceedings in Court Room 1), they treated the nation to enough doses of drama. At a point, Iyamu the police officer denied ever having anything to do with Anini. A furious Anini fired back from his wheelchair:
You be shameless liar!
During the trial, a lot of revelations were made. The tribunal learnt that Iyamu had tipped off Anini that the Bendel-born Deputy-Inspector General of Police (then an Assistant Inspector-General of the Police, AIG in charge of F Deparment (Research and Planning)), Christopher Akhigbe Omeben would be in Benin City and that Anini and his gang should finish off Omeben. Iyamu even told them that the DIG would be staying off Ekehuan Road and gave all the needed description but Anini was unable to carry out the plot to murder the police chief. Iyamu was said to have said:
'If you can finish off with him, the entire police intelligence network will be in disarray.'
Iyamu denied this allegation and even said he never collected any N50,000 from Anini to facilitate Eweka's release. Although Anini and his gang would not be able to 'finish off' Omeben, something really nasty happened. On the 6th of September, 1986, Anini's gang kidnapped Omeben's driver, Albert Otoe, a police sergeant, and snatched the Peugeot 504 he was driving. What was later found was his corpse. He had been beheaded and his corpse was hidden away before his decomposing skeleton was discovered on the Benin-Agbor Highway, Umelu area, over 15 kilometres from Benin, the capital city on the 13th of September, 1986. The attack derailed the investigation and further sent fears down the people's spines.
Some records indicate that the sergeant was abducted and decapitated by mistake, that the gang had someone else in mind. Omeben, who was also involved in Dele Giwa's case, later became a pastor and wrote a book on his experience in the police force.
The trial held at the High Court of Justice, off Sapele Road in Benin City. Anini had implicated 10 police officers and five of them were eventually convicted (a total of 80 policemen suspected of being in collusion with Bendel criminals had been earlier transferred to other states).
During the trial, Anini maintained a sober, apologetic and somewhat regretful mood but Osunbor did not even 'send'. He maintained a permanent frown on his face, expressed no pitiful emotions or remorse and quickly accepted fate that the end was near. He was not interested in any defence even though the government had to assign a lawyer to him.
As for Anini, he was still optimistic a miracle would happen. At a point during the trial, he said:
'I know say Oga Ben (his lawyer) go try for me. Hin go try free me.'
Anini's lawyer, named Ben Iserhien, gave a spirited defence for his client. The lawyer even went ahead to state that Anini should not be executed because he suffered from a multipersonality disorder which made him rob banks and then distribute the loot to the poor. As far as Anini's lawyer was concerned, Anini was a kind man that deserved help and assistance. The most amazing part of the whole saga was that Anini had great confidence in his lawyer and he strongly believed he would save him from an imminent death. Well lawyers, #coughs I've got two of you in my family so my twale to una o! :D As at that time, Iserhien, a Benin-based lawyer, was not too famous and taking on the case launched him onto the national stage. To worsen Anini's case, IBB demanded for a speedy trial (many Nigerians will really find that funny and ironic).
As the laws stated then, Anini faced the Armed Robbery and Firearms Tribunal (put in place by the military) and he was found guilty. Subsequently, he was condemned to death by the firing squad. Same for his cohorts and Iyamu. The military governor of the state, Inienger, approved and signed his execution papers (why am I suddenly thinking of Governor Oshiomhole? LOL!) and that was how Anini's world came to a screeching halt. While giving the judgment, Justice Omo-Agege then stated:
“Anini will forever be remembered in the history of crime in this country, but it would be of unblessed memory. Few people if ever, would give the name to their children.”
INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT ANINI
-Anini was described as a man who loved to dress nicely and sharply. He was particularly interested in wearing customized and tailor-made suits. He spent lavishly and cavorted with as many women that caught his horrible fancy. However, he married a woman from a village in the state but it is unclear if he ever had any child. As at the time I was writing this, I could not lay my hands on any reliable account of Anini having any offspring. Rumours abound but facts are sacred. Being an overly emotional man that he was, it was very unlikely Anini would not mention his child if he had any before he was brutally dispatched from the surface of the Earth. While the police authorities were combing everywhere for him, Anini was described as having a face with scars, an incorrigible womaniser who loved attending funeral ceremonies.
-In September 1986, when he robbed at the Ipoba Slope, near the FEDECO office, terror-stricken traffic wardens fled for their lives and as they ran away frantically, Anini shouted after them:
Tell them (police) that I am around!
-At the time when Anini trampled upon Nigeria, one of the brightest journalists in Africa, Dele Giwa, lived and this is what he had to say about Anini:
'Son of Sam was the son of a dog! Jack the Ripper was the son of a dog! Lawrence Anini is the son of a dog!' -DELE GIWA, Nigerian journalist (1947-1986).
It is very interesting to know that both Anini and Dele Giwa were both from the same Bendel State and both of them would later meet their tragic deaths under the IBB regime.
-Although Anini was an all-round robber with incredible sniping abilities, his area of specialization was bank robbery.
-The robbery case of Anini was handled by the outspoken and retired commissioner of police, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav. He was assigned to investigate the case of the dreaded robber. On his team then was Abubakar Mohammed (who is now the current Inspector-General of the Nigerian Police), officer Zubairu (who retired as a Chief Superintendent of Police) and the late ID Muntari. In a February 2013 interview with Punch, Tsav revealed that he was not the one who arrested Anini but an Assistant Commissioner of Police named Uanreroro (AC Mobile, see his picture above, Uanreroro retired as an ACP, Mobile). However, he was the one who oversaw the entire investigative case that led to the conviction of Anini, his killer partner, Monday Osunbor who did read pass secondary school Form IV, his police accomplice, George Sam Iyamu who was an Assistant Superintendent of Police (Iyamu made the obnoxious history of becoming the first high-ranking officer in the Nigeria Police to be indicted of robbery) and others.
Worked on Anini's case: Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, former Lagos State Commissioner of Police. PHOTO CREDITS: THE SCOOP.
Tsav and his team spent six months on the case in Edo State (then Bendel State). Tsav complained that a major problem with the police today is that the seniors want to take all the glory and not give room to the juniors, even when they are the ones that did all the work in an investigation. Tsav also stated that the case file for Dele Giwa's murder was also seized from him and you will agree with me that that is worthy of note. You know what I am talking about jooor...lol
PART OF THOSE WHO SMOKED ANINI OUT: Alhaji Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar, current Inspector-General of the Nigerian Police.
-Anini knew the nature of his 'job' and was always aware of the consequences of his actions. Whenever he went to bed, two of his gang boys stood watch over the bed of His Thieving Majesty as he drifted off to dreamland.
-As at the time Anini and his gang were executed, records show that none of them could have been older than 29. Monday Osunbor's age was listed as 22. They were all quite young and that also brings to mind the case of another notorious thief, Babatunde Folorunsho who was executed on the 21st of April, 1971 at the age of 23. The public executions of Babatunde Folorunsho and his ilk were the very first in Nigeria of armed robbers. In 1992, Shina Rambo of Lagos would daze the nation with his fast fingers for expensive cars. Peter Presley Preboye also did his own with jewelry on Victoria Island.
-Anini reigned for about three years only. That is different from 'Dr' Ishola Oyenusi (read all about OyenusiHERE).
-A frustrated Nigeria Police placed a bounty of N10,000 on Anini's head and his wanted posters with his photograph were pasted all over the state. Anini boasted that he would singlehandedly raise the ransom on his head to N30,000 and give anyone who could arrest him. Interestingly, when he was later cornered, ten police officers were immediately put under investigation. People were too terrified to have the posters pasted in their homes and there is a story of how Anini and his men threatened the NTA Benin staff for pasting the posters. The posters disappeared in a jiffy and hundreds of them laid on the floor in the police headquarters. People were just too afraid to go out and paste Anini's wanted posters. Even police officers.
-Anini vowed that he would die in one of the markets in a shoot-out with the police and when the time comes, he would not go alone but with as many people as possible. Therefore, it was not a surprise that following his capture, marketwomen were some of the first to erupt in joy and troop to the police command to catch a glimpse of the terror called Anini. There was tremendous joy in Benin that day, mobile policemen drove round the city to the enthusiastic applause and cheers of a relieved citizenry. Gunshots were fired in celebration and Governor Inienger was profuse in his praise for the police and commended their efforts for making the dream of netting Anini before the next Christmas a reality.
-Also, although Inienger was the governor as at the time Eweka was sentenced to death, he was not the one who signed the execution documents. That was done by the Acting Governor, Navy Captain Salahudeen Akano. Inienger was on leave.
-A Nollywood film/documentary titledAnini: The Siege of a Nation was made and it featured the likes of Segun Arinze, Chidi Mokeme, Fred Amata, Norbert Young and Bimbo Akintola with Nosa Ehimwhen acting as Anini. You can enjoy the movie HERE and I must tell you, it is a very interesting movie!
-In the absence of reliable and verifiable information, so much myths and superstitions spread about Anini over they years. One said that he drove in the reverse gear from Lagos to Benin with full speed when the police was after him. Another said he would appear from nowhere and start shooting his attackers. Another outlandish one even stated that he was not a human being but a spirit and that the day he was to be executed, all the bullets did not penetrate his skin until Anini graciously cut off his left toe. Chai! Some people's lies can resurrect the dead ehn! Hilarious nonsense. Well, Nigeria is still developing and by the time we feel the full blast of information technology as in other parts of the globe, we will look back and laugh at the 'faboos' that we once held so tenaciously to be true. Anini was no spirit even if some people are ready to swear by their grandfather's tomb that Anini vanished and disappeared into the thin air right before their eyes at Ekiosa Market . I say again: faboo of the highest order. Same goes for Derico, Shina Rambo, Asuma Ilorin, Oyenusi, Obidiozor Duru (of the Otokoto fame) and many more. We should stop mystifying criminals and making unnecessary heroes out of nefarious characters. Such senseless mystification of criminal elements only make work difficult for our already demoralized officers and increase the crime rate in our already heated society. Armed robbers are human beings, forget the tantalizing aura of voodooism. The only difference is that they carry bajinatus (guns) while you negotiate with your legs, faster than Usain Bolt :D
EXECUTION
Iyamu and the rest were killed by the firing squad on a Saturday and Valentine's Day of 1987 but Anini and Osunbor's deaths were postponed to the Sanitation Day of March, the 28th of the same year. The myth of Anini came to a fiery end on the 27th of March, 1986. It was a Saturday and thousands of citizens of the then-Bendel State joyfully trooped out to watch the unceremonious exit of Anini the Law from this earthly plane. Whether he would continue his armed robbery in the Great Beyond was no one’s business, they just wanted to see him dispatched from this planet as quickly and with maximum vengeance.
TASTING HIS OWN MEDICINE: Anini (R) and his cohorts are finished off. The agony, fright and terror on Anini's face reminds us all of the mortality of our own existence.
Apart from Anini, Monday Osunbor (also the armourer for the group, he was reputed to have single-handedly gunned down six policemen), Solomon Ihebelua Osemwenkhai (Osemenvkhore, nicknamed Akpankon, aged 22), Bernard Obi and Friday Ukponmwan were other gang members found guilty of conspiracy and armed robbery by the Second Benin Armed Robbery & Firearm Tribunal on the 9th of January. They all faced the firing squad. Anini would be cut down in a final shower of bullets on the 27th of March, 1987, before thousands of the same Nigerians he had terrified. At 11.05 am, as the bullets hit his already frail body, Anini weakly muttered his final words:
Let me die reaping what I have sown.
THE FINAL MOMENTS: Helpless, almost pitiable, tied to the stake like a jaundiced ram and with one leg already amputated, Anini succumbs to the bullets of merciless executioners.
Today, the Nigeria Police is a cesspit of corruption with a lot of Nigerians preferring to run back into the hands of armed robbers should they confront policemen while fleeing from thieves. What do you expect in a condition where the nation's top-cop embezzles the money meant for the over 330,000 men and women under his watch only to decieve the nation with an action-packed TV show called Crime Fighters. Worefa, self-flagellation will do us no good as a nation. We need to start contributing in our own little way to the development of this great nation. As my people will say, igi kan o le da igbo she. Meaning? A tree cannot make a forest. Anini was a tree. Today, we have forests.
THANKS A LOT FOR YOUR TIME.
Juju...
serves him right
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