Lebanese murders bureau de change operator over $50,000 in Lagos | Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog

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Sunday, 6 May 2012

Lebanese murders bureau de change operator over $50,000 in Lagos

                                   The Lebanese killer                      The victim being rolled into the theatre after the incident
Culled from Vanguard
35-year-old Ali Sani, a bureau de change operator in Apapa area of Lagos, least envisaged the tragedy that loomed ahead,  penultimate Monday,  as he set for his office. Like every other bureau de change operator, Ali called on passers-by to patronise him, in his hard currency  changing business.
Later that day, a telephone call, which signaled the beginning of the end of  Ali, came in with  the caller requesting for fifty thousand dollars. The call, according to his colleagues, came as an answered prayer for the  Kano State born operator  who, reportedly, rallied round to make up the amount. But, unknown to him, the caller had a sinister motive.

This was  confirmed as report was received later by Ali’s  colleagues that he was lying in a  pool of his own  blood inside a hotel on  Marine Road, Apapa. Sadly, as you read this piece, the remains of the bureau de change operator, who hailed from Rimi town  in Sumalia local government area of Kano State, are lying six feet beneath the earth.


How he met his death
The caller, a 25-year-old  Lebanese, identified as  Bilal, as gathered, invited Ali to the hotel. Immediately he stepped inside the hotel room , the Lebanese allegedly requested for the dollars which the deceased  gave to him. But instead of giving the bureau de change operator  the naira equivalent,  four men were said to have emerged from  the toilet.

Before he  could fathom what was wrong, one of the men  landed a stick on  his head, causing him to fall.
In that state, the kingpin, Bilal, reportedly brought out a knife from his pocket and stabbed Ali in the neck, head, eyes and shoulder. Apprehension  set in after Bilal rushed out of the hotel room with blood stained shirt, attempting  to leave the hotel. But he was prevented by security  guards. A mild drama unfolded as the Lebanese reportedly brought out a knife threatening to stab whoever tried to block his way.

But for  the timely arrival of policemen from Apapa Division, led by the Divisional Police Officer, Mr  Mohammed Mu’azu, the Lebanese would have made good his threat or escaped. He was arrested alongside two Nigerians simply identified as Segun and Benjamin.

During investigation, Bilal told policemen that his other  two partners in crime had escaped. It was discovered that the fleeing suspects, both Lebanese , are father and son. A friend to the deceased bureau de change operator, one  Muhammed Lawal, revealed to Sunday Vanguard that he disecretly followed Ali to  the hotel that fateful day.

He narrated,  “ When the  Lebanese informed  him  that he would send his  driver  to come and pick him to the hotel where he lodged,  he told me to follow  him secretly  behind. They drove in a  Toyota Camry car.   When they arrived the hotel, I hid outside.

“I waited  for my friend to come outside  but he did not and that made me suspicious. I  dialed his number  but there was no response. Not   long thereafter, I saw one white man with blood stain all over his body.  He  wanted to escape but the security guards started  shouting for help. The shouts  alerted other people in the hotel. And that was what made me call our chairman and my  other colleagues that they should help call the police.

“Then, I approached the hotel gate and started hauling stones at the white man and shouting at the same time. In the process, I managed to grab him. When we followed him to the room he lodged in,  I saw my friend in a  pool of  his own  blood . And when the policemen conducted a search  of  the hotel room, they found  two other persons.”

The chairman of  the  bureau-de-change operators association, Mallam Garba Kano, who also spoke with Sunday Vanguard, revealed that Ali was rushed to three hospitals where he was rejected. According to him, “ when I got wind of the report, I  alerted the DPO Apapa who immediately rushed there with his men.  But for him, the suspects would have escaped. We first rushed Ali to  an  hospital where he was rejected.

“We later took him to Apapa health centre where again he was rejected. We took him to one other hospital where  the same thing happened. By then Ali was no longer  talking. He was in coma. We then rushed him to Lagoon  Hospital  where he was accepted and we were asked to pay N2.5 million as deposit. But we were able to deposit  N750,000 before treatment commenced. Unfortunately he died hours later.”

It was not as if Ali  went to meet the Lebanese just like that. His telephone number was given to the Lebanese by someone  the deceased bureau de change  knew very well at a supermarket. Garba  lamented that members of his association had been under  incessant attacks  from criminals who hide under different guise.
In the past, he said gun wielding men would storm the area, shooting  his  members  and making away with their monies in naira and foreign currencies. Sometimes, according to him, robbers would pose as bank customers, asking his members to meet them  at the bank. But on reaching the bank, the operator would be attacked and dispossessed of  his money. Some of  his members,  he said, ended up losing their lives . So far, he said four of his members had lost their lives.

Where is the money?
There  is, however, a twist in the whole matter as the fifty thousand dollars Ali reportedly took to the hotel was, at press time,  yet to be recovered. Out of the amount, only ten thousand dollars was recovered.
Sunday Vanguard gathered that when the prime suspect was arrested, a briefcase in which the hard currency was recovered  was taken from him and handed over to a police man. It could, however, not be ascertained if the briefcase contained the whole amount. But when asked, Bilal allegedly claimed he kept the money inside the briefcase.  This development  led to the arrest of the policeman.
Ali’s widow and three children left for Kano, on Wednesday,with the police still investigating the matter with a view to arresting  fleeing suspects.

Written by Evelyn Usman of Vanguard

54 comments:

  1. Firstly, why go to the hotel to do business. He would not have done this with a Nigerian, so, why with a Lebanese.
    Second issue is about the hospitals turning away patients because of money. Aren't Doctors meant to have taken an autocratic oath. This emphasis on money against treatment of individuals is sickening and unless more is done, people will continue to die unnecessarily.

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    Replies
    1. There's no need to insinuate he wouldn't go see a nigerian in a hotel. The crime could very well have been perpetrated in a residence.

      Its so sad the young man lost his life, but I think these mallams need to begin to take more precautions. For such a huge amount they should employ armed escorts the costs may be high but their margins can accomodate this. There's no price to human lives.

      The lebanese should be castrated.

      Blak kofee,

      Delete
    2. Nne, no vex, the oath is Hippocratic, not autocratic.

      Delete
  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  3. The Great Oracle6 May 2012 at 11:26

    Every business with its own risk. RIP Ali.

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  4. me,masef n eyes!6 May 2012 at 11:28

    d lebanese stabd Ali and ran out wid blood staind clothes*smh*hw e wan tk escape?dis story de somhow sha...

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    Replies
    1. Maybe he panicked and tried to escape.

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  5. Confirmed! Linda Ikeji has now employed someone to blog for her...another story that could have been edited to 2 paragraphs.

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  6. This is so terrible, how can people be so mean to their fellow human. Between why was he rejected in two hospitals? is that how is done in Nigeria? u need to pay 2.5 million as a deposit before a stabbed victim can be treated?

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  7. Linda there is more to this gist o I know Nigerian police claimed the money involved is $10,000 because after collecting the $50,000 as exhibit they only tendered $10,000 when they got to their station I know becos am involved in the case somehow. Nigeria police sha.

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  8. Linda, why didn't you show the lebanese guys face? As for doing business in a hotel room it happens all the time and we have been told that Ali's number was given by someone Ali knew very well hence he was comfortable with the deal.

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  9. @allegra, lol. it is hippocratic oat, not auto cratic...

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    Replies
    1. You are mad,how can u b laughing out loud in such a sorrowful matter,if it was ur relative will u LOL,may ur soul rest in peace ali

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  10. Don't know where to start..everything is so wrong..money exchange in the hotel..inadeqaute hospital services..Police corruption..the Lebanese vermin on the 9ja landscape!!

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  11. Tired of lebanese attitude too dubious, stingy u wil neva work for them and paid u on time, they wil neva be in a country dat no corruptions, see again still usin us to hurt our selfs.

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  12. Hospitals pls stop rejecting ER patients, very bad n unheard of, Treatment first- save life first then ask for money, in this case this guy wud have been saved guess he lost a lot of blood n probably the hit he got on his head got to his brain, God help us, very soon u won't hear anything about it again. Mr lebanese will soon go scot free

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  13. Anon03:59 Linda said it the way it happen I happen to be staying in Apapa! D malam is well known as well

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    Replies
    1. I didnt say the story was wrong I said there is more to it.I have my facts concerning the police issue I mentioned

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    2. Yeah! Everybody know that police recovered all the money but gave only 10k dollars

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  14. Things are happening!!! RIP Ali... Wicked wrld indeed

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  15. I feel the money was just part of the ploy,when they went back into the room upon arresting the lebanese,they found two men inside,I think they wanted to use his body parts for rituals as well...jay.

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  16. @Allegra - 11.20AM-
    That must be Hippocratic Oath - one Doctors sign to agree to treat patients ethically.
    Please there is a button on Google called Spell check - It was made for people like you.Always use it Next time.

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    Replies
    1. My dear hippocratic oath is not signed o. Lol

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  17. @allegra. Its unfortunate but Lagos state doctors are on indefinite strike so which explains why he was turned back.
    And these people meet people anywhere. I have had one meet me in a hotel so don't blame him. He was trying to make ends meet. Blame the govt

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  18. @Allegra, actually, these money men will meet you at home or office or anywhere you ask them to- it is not a racism thing- my cousin's money man used to come to her office and he always had extra security on him- so to some extent, the victim made an error of judgement in not taking those extra measures

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  19. SMH at the first comment, Allegra if u have done Bureau business before as a traveller u will know that these people will meet u anywhere, especially if u came recommended, there is nothing wrong with meeting a customer up for business, every business has its own risk, its so Sad that a young man had to die because of another wicked human, may God help us all.

    and 9ja hospitals i have no word for ur useless operating system, rejecting someone, 9ja is always in my prayers..

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  20. 2.5 mill as down payment to treat a dying man.... May God incure his wrath on this mindless doctors... No passion for the job @ all.kmt

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  21. ONOME says.........
    Sad sad sad.And wrong on many fronts.
    Business in hotel room?Hospitals rejecting patient,money disappeared with police?
    May he rest in peace...

    It's Hippocrates oath,not autocratic oath.Nigeria's health service is wack,security wack,everything.......

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    Replies
    1. I think nigerian doctors, and to an extent the nigerian police, signed the autocratic oath!
      From what am seeing, the person who made the comment is not entirely wrong! Smh.

      Delete
  22. These Lebanese people have killed many Nigerians without the police suspecting them.

    A long time ago, they killed a former President's wife and nobody suspected them.

    Beware of doing business with most of them. Some of them are really good. Those are the ones from rich homes not Barawu.

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  23. How did he not forsee this, knowing something similar happened with his colleagues?? Don't leave the premises for business. Why can't the customers come to the office instead? This is naija. You shouldn't take such risk! Poor guy. R.I.P. Naija hospitals, you suck!! Lord knows how many people have died as a result of your useless rules. Smh!

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  24. Very painful and sad!!!!
    This is how the story will end o, policemen will share d remaining $40000 and dat Lebanese will be set free, ocos d fada and son will Neva be caught. RIP ALI

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  25. In Nigeria,when doing business,avoid Indians 1st,Lebanese 2nd.Police has pocketed the remaining 40k,I worked in a company that had a bureau de change operator and when ever thieves stole from us,even though they were caught,the police always keeps the money somehow.

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  26. Wateva the case is, the mallam is dead, recover the money and kill the suspects. Next thing plz....i am segun

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  27. Autocratic oath ? Buhahahaha

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  28. its only in Nigeria, hospitals reject patients without even trying! In my opinion such hopitals should be sued or closed down!!!

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  29. Nigeria is becoming a big time hell hole!! i blame d hospitals for this mans death!! how can u reject a dying man! y r u a doctor den?? this is crazy!! all three hospitals r responsible for his death!! thats serious gross negligence!! Nigeria is a sick country and we need to pray that God heals our country!!

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  30. Dis bastardize Lebanese must be short dead.

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  31. So sad that our Nigerian doctors after taking oats to save lives end up taking money over the lives they swore to save,big shame.May his soul rest in peace

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    Replies
    1. Oaths not Quaker Oats. Lol

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  32. this issue of rejecting emergency patients is very terrible. just lost a friend who had an accident on lagos ibadan expressway bc she was rejected in three diff hospitals. she was coming frm sch where she went to defend her PHD thesis. pls let us voice out agst this till our legislators hear. RIP my friend and Ali

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  33. I'm a dr and it saddens me when I hear stories like this. A stab wound is serious but if emergency treatment is commenced, most patients survive. Why would hospitals deny a patient emergency services(and I'm sure its private hosps that rejected him)on grounds of lack of money. Many govt hosps have policies in place to commence emergency treatment and stabilize the patient before even asking for a dime. This is really sad. I hope the govt hosps have not abandoned this important pollicy!

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  34. The story confuses the heck out of me o. What was their planning after stabbing him? Seems like a very badly planned crime. Even armed robbers need education. May his soul RIP and thank God they caught the attacker.

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  35. I know Ali very well he is a good customer & i have done business with him for some years now. It is so sad that his life was caught short by this wicked and callous lebanese. May God rest your soul Ali and grant comfort to your wife, children and relatives. May the wrath of God Almighty befall this evil doers. !!!Good bye!!!

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  36. Lebanese people are very very bad people. They think they can get away with anything in Nigeria. I HATE THEM!! Nigerian Police should deal with this man.

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  37. Anoymous May 6, 2012 11:40 AM , dont be a retard! Linda clearly stated the the story was culled from the vanguard. Open ya eye!

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  38. We all know where the money is Linda.Its just sad this shit happens

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  39. I think if i were you,I won't be too quick to judge the medical personnels involved.I know that the extent of the injury couldn't have been managed by a primary health care centre.The deceased died in the ICU as a result of multiple stab wound to the head and torso.For a hospital that requires a minimum deposit of 2.5 million for intensive care admission,i don't think it's a bad idea to request for financial commitment

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  40. uk hoapital will never ask a uk citizen to pay almost 12k pounds for ER,stop talking abt finicial treatment here alot of people ve died cos of huge finicial commitments.d only reason dey should reject a patient is if dey do nt ve a dr on duty...lagoon hoispital apapa is know for dis all dey want is money and at d end of d day waste lives,why?dey like to hold on to patients billing them and also kill dem...as for d lebanese i hope d police do nt secretly realese him after taking bribe....may Ali soul RIP

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