5. Lawrence Anini aka The Law – NOTORIOUS CRIMINAL
In his time Nigeria recorded two types of armed robbers and they are Lawrence Nomanyagbon Anini and others. No armed robber has ever held the entire country on ransom as Anini. In fact, his reign was so bloody that he was even discussed at the State Security Council meeting.
Lawrence Anini was a notorious armed robber who terrorised residents of Old Bendel state (now Edo and Delta states) in the 80’s. Anini and his gang started out as car snatchers but graduated to robbing banks.
He started work as a lorry driver (some say taxi driver) after his master fired him and slowly transformed into a leader of the local motor parks, controlling and commanding touts.
Following the sudden overthrow of the politicians in the early 1980s and banning of politics in 1984 by the Buhari regime the highly-skilled driver (now of of criminal gangs and godfathers) discovered that armed robbery was far more lucrative and decided to form his own deadly gang
Anini killed many of the policemen sent to apprehend him but was finally caught in December of 1986. The Anini terrror finally came to an end thanks to the courage of Superintendent of Police, Kayode Uanreroro. On December 3, 1986, Uanreroro caught Anini at No 26, Oyemwosa Street, opposite Iguodala Primary School, Benin City, in company with six women.
Acting on a tip-off from the locals, the policeman went straight to the house where Anini was hiding and apprehended him with very little resistance. Uanreroro led a crack 10-man team to the house, knocked on the door of the room, and Anini himself, clad in underpants, opened the door. “Where is Anini?”, the police officer quickly enquired.
Due to amputation of his leg, Anini was confined to a wheelchair throughout his trial. He was sentenced to death by Justice James Omo-Agege and executed on March 29, 1987.
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