THISDAY Reporter Robbed in Abuja

Police  Headequarters 

By ChinemeOkafor

The diplomatic and labour reporter for THISDAY Newspapers in Abuja, Damilola Oyedele was Friday robbed of various personal belongings at the visitors’ car park of the United States embassy in Abuja.

The robbery incident occurred within the hours of 1.15pm and 3pm at the embassy which is situated on the diplomatic zone in Abuja while Oyedele attended a scheduled teleconference with the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Terence McCulley and his counterpart in Mali, Mary Beth Leonard.

whose car was parked directly opposite two Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras had discovered that her car was burgled while she was away attending the official teleconference within the embassy.

She noted that the passenger side of the car was forced open, granting the burglars access to make away with belongings that include; an iPad, a blackberry curve phone, Nokia E61, Visafone mobile, Sony camera  and Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards of Diamond and Guarantee Trust (GT) Banks respectively.

Other items that were stolen from the car are her valid Nigerian driver’s licence, passport photos of herself and daughter as well as the sum of N70,000 which were all contained in the handbag she left in the car.

“I packed the car at the visitors’ parking lot where other diplomatic cars were also parked; now, I didn’t take my bag not because I was not allowed to but the embassy often discourages such practice and in the process makes screening of people wielding bags so lengthy,” Oyedele said.

She also explained that there were visible security personnel of the embassy at the parking lot, adding that officials of the embassy who were indifferent on the development claimed that the CCTV camera opposite her parked car belonged to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and not the embassy.