Crimes in Nigeria
In-depth stories and reports on major crimes, notorious criminals, financial fraud, organized crime networks, and justice in Nigeria.
Donatus Okeke (a.k.a. “Lion of the East”) – Bank and bullion van robber in Anambra.
In the verdant hills of Anambra State, where palm wine flows freely and the entrepreneurial spirit of the Igbo people has built commercial empires...
The Role of Economic Decline in the 1980s and 1990s – How unemployment and inflation fueled violent crime.
In the bustling streets of Lagos in 1979, Adebayo Ogundimu carried himself with the quiet confidence of a university graduate. Fresh from the University...
Famous Armed Robbery Trials in Nigeria’s Legal History – Landmark cases and how they changed public perception.
Justice Adetokunbo Ademola adjusted his wig as he entered the packed Lagos High Court on the morning of March 8, 1971. The gallery buzzed...
The “First Wave” of High-Profile Armed Robberies in the 1970s – The era of Lawrence Anini, Ishola Oyenusi, and co.
The morning of August 15, 1973, would forever change Nigeria's crime landscape when six men in military fatigues burst into the United Bank for...
Impact of Military Regimes on Armed Robbery Trends – How security crackdowns and public executions shaped crime patterns.
The drums stopped beating at Bar Beach, Lagos, at precisely 6:47 AM on March 26, 1971. Thousands of spectators fell silent as the executioner's...
The Rise of Armed Robbery after the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970) – How war veterans, poverty, and weapons proliferation led to the surge.
Lieutenant Emeka Okafor stared at the AK-47 in his hands as the "No Victor, No Vanquished" ceremony concluded in Lagos, January 1970. Three years...
The Origins of Armed Robbery in Colonial Nigeria – How colonial economic changes and urban migration laid the groundwork for organized robbery.
In the bustling commercial district of Lagos in 1923, a young Yoruba clerk named Adebayo hurried through the narrow streets clutching a leather satchel...
The Role of Nollywood in Immortalizing Robbery Legends
In a dimly lit video rental shop in Alaba Market, Lagos, 1995, a young man named Chike clutched a VHS copy of "Living in...
From Armed Robbery to Kidnapping: The Changing Face of Violent Crime in Nigeria – Why many armed robbers switched crimes.
In the dusty streets of Lagos in 1970, armed robbers moved with the precision of military units, their AK-47s gleaming under streetlights as they...
Inside Nigeria’s Most Notorious Prisons for Armed Robbers
The heavy iron gates of Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison creaked open in the pre-dawn darkness of September 8, 1971, as armed guards escorted a...