Encomium
-Attacked FCMB reopens
ON Monday, March 23, 2015, late 15 year-old fish hawker, Sarah Ibikunle was laid to rest at the Ikoyi, Lagos Cemetery amid tears from the family and a couple of sympathizers.
According to the family spokesperson, Mr. Tobi Ibikunle, Sarah’s corpse departed Mainland Hospital, Yaba, Lagos, around 11 a.m to Ikoyi Cemetery, Lagos where it was interred at exactly 12.30 p.m.
The burial lasted few minutes as there was nothing to waste time on being a very young girl. Only two of Sarah’s siblings Remilekun (sister) and Ayomipo (brother) were also at the burial.
“We got the corpse on Monday morning around 11 a.m after a little delay. No autopsy was conducted again as required by the hospital. We left the place almost immediately for Ikoyi Cemetery, Lagos, where she was buried at around 12.30 p.m.
“The grave was ready before we got there. That’s why we didn’t spend much time. There wasn’t any sermon by any pastor or whatsoever, we just buried her straight being a young girl. And sympathizers wept profusely. It’s painful losing her, especially in such a tragic incident.
“After the burial, we all returned to Babalola via Itedo where most of us reside. But on getting home, we met some of Sarah’s colleagues from her school in our compound, crying. But as Christians, we have no choice other than resigning to fate.”
Asked to shed light on the monetary donations received by the family in respect of the burial, he said, “We got N100,000 from the Executive Secretary of Iru/Eti Osa Local Government, Hon. Prince Arobadade. He also gave us some money initially. Also, we got the grave for free through him. He had really done more than enough for the family. May God continue to be with him and his family.
“Also, a pastor gave us N100,000 but he didn’t want his name mentioned. Apart from these two people, no one else gave us anything. We’re not particular about people giving us money or not. What’s important was to bury Sarah and that had been achieved. But we still need to show our deep appreciation to those who deemed it fit to give us money because they really understood the agony we went through. That’s why they decided to help us on their own and God will reward them abundantly.”
However, ENCOMIUM Weekly also got across to the Lagos State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Kenneth Nwosu on Sunday, March 29, 2015, on the development concerning the tragic robbery. He reacted, “For now, no arrest has been made but we’re assuring the public the hoodlums will be apprehended soon. We’re not folding our arms. The Commissioner of Police, CP Kayode Aderanti is very much concerned about it. Very soon, we will round them up.”
ENCOMIUM Weekly’s efforts to confirm the actual amount lost by First City Monument Bank (FCMB) to the robbery from her spokesperson, Mr. Louis Ibe proved abortive as all the calls put through his mobile phone were not picked. We also sent him a text but it wasn’t replied till we went to press.
However, an insider told ENCOMIUM Weekly the incident might have set the financial institution back by close to N20 million as nothing was left in the bank after the robbery.
“Although, no one can say exactly how much was stolen by the robbers, I only learnt they carted away all the money in the bank which couldn’t be less than N20m. I also learnt the robbers broke the ATM box and strong room, using rocket launchers while customers and staffers of the bank were all scampering to safety. But now, normalcy has returned in the area, the bank itself resumed operations a few days after the damaged areas had been repaired, all their systems and other equipment restored.”
On Thursday, March 12, 2015, some gun-totting robbers, dressed in military camouflage stormed Admiralty Way, Lekki, Lagos via the waterways, on a speedboat, and started shooting sporadically, killing three policemen and a 15 year-old fish seller, Sarah Ibikunle.
– TADE ASIFAT
