24/11/2025
ANINI: THE NOTORIOUS ARMED ROBBER WHO BROUGHT A NATION TO ITS KNEES
In the mid-1980s, Nigeria faced one of the darkest criminal reigns in its history — a period when a single man became so feared that people whispered his name like a curse.
His name was Lawrence Nomanyagbon Anini.
But most Nigerians knew him simply as:
👉 “Anini the Law.”
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
Anini wasn’t always a terror.
He came from a humble background in Benin City and worked as a taxi driver.
But after mixing with street gangs, fraudsters, and truck hijackers, he moved from petty crime into armed robbery — and he brought a level of organization never seen before.
THE RISE OF A CRIME LEGEND
By 1986, Anini and his gang were unstoppable.
They robbed:
• banks
• bullion vans
• petrol stations
• highways
• and even police checkpoints
…often in broad daylight.
What made them even more dangerous?
They were shockingly bold.
They would spray money in the streets after robberies, earning them a twisted kind of popularity among some youths.
And each time police tried to catch him…
He vanished.
THE POLICE EMBARRASSMENT
The situation got so bad that newspapers started asking embarrassing questions like:
“Where is Anini? Is the police truly in control?”
Even the Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida, was frustrated.
During a security meeting, he famously asked the Inspector General of Police:
“My friend, where is Anini?”
It was a national shame.
Something was deeply wrong.
A SHOCKING REVELATION
Investigations later uncovered a horrifying truth:
Anini’s gang was being protected by high-ranking police officers.
The worst of them was Inspector George Iyamu, a decorated officer who secretly armed Anini’s gang, gave them escape routes, and leaked police plans.
Corruption was helping crime flourish.
THE FALL — A LUCKY BREAK
On December 3rd, 1986, Anini’s reign ended in the most unexpected way.
He was found hiding in a small room in Benin City.
A shootout followed.
He was shot in the leg and captured — alive.
When he was brought out, Nigerians were shocked:
The feared “Anini the Law” was just a small, quiet-looking man.
THE TRIAL AND EX*****ON
At his trial, Anini was surprisingly calm.
He confessed freely and exposed every corrupt officer who helped him.
His trial was swift.
In March 1987, Anini and his accomplices — including Inspector Iyamu — were executed by firing squad at the Bar Beach in Lagos.
Crowds gathered to watch the end of a man who once held a nation hostage.
THE LEGEND LIVES ON
Even today, Anini’s name remains a symbol in Nigeria:
• a warning about crime
• a reminder of corruption
• and an unforgettable chapter in history
His story is dark, complex, and eerie — the tale of a man who became so powerful that even the government felt threatened.