•Our plight, by victims
A commercial bus driver has been arrested by Rapid Response Squad (RRS) operatives for alleged robbery.
Abdullahi Olanrewaju was arrested after his gang allegedly robbed some houses on Abeje and Onibeju Streets, off Capitol road in Agege, Lagos, last Friday.
Some victims have described the night of the robbery as a nightmare.
In a statement yesterday, RRS said Olanrewaju, 30, was arrested after a gun duel with its operatives on patrol, who were alerted by a victim.
RRS quoted the victims as saying that the suspect led the eight-man gang to their house.
“That was the man who pointed gun at every one of us, threatening to shoot us if we fail to cooperate with them. They had to destroy my door with a sledge-hammer before they could enter,” he said.
Another victim, who lives on Onibeju Street, confirmed that the suspect led his colleagues to their building, saying: “It was a bad midnight for all of us. In fact, he hit one of our neighbours with a pump action gum. The man has been hospitalised”.
The victims flocked the RRS’ Headquarters in Ikeja to identify the suspect as the gang leader who threatened to waste their lives.
“When I did the calculation, the fleeing robbers had escaped with N549,500 collected from all of us with other valuables”, a victim said.
Items recovered from the suspect were one cut-to-size pump action a Jack Knife, two laptops, 14 handsets, wrist watch and N2, 600.
The operatives, who were led to the robbery scene by Inspector Anthony Inege said a victim, who escaped through the window, alerted them that armed men were operating in their building.
The officers followed him to the scene where they met the robbers attempting to enter another building on the street.
The Nation learnt that on sighting the police, the robbers and the RRS returned fire.
Olanrewaju, who hails from Ita-Amoju in Kwara State, was said to have confessed to RRS investigators that he was lured into the robbery by his gang members, who promised to buy him a commercial bus after the operation.
RRS quoted him as saying: “When I arrived in Lagos, I started driving a commercial bus plying Agege to Oshodi before I joined the robbery gang. But all of a sudden, the bus developed faults, and the owner had to sell the vehicle. Since then, things have been very difficult for me.
“I met other gang members at a beer parlour in Akerele Wahabi area in Agege. I told them I was a bus driver and they promised to buy a new bus for me. When they refused to buy the vehicle for me, they promised again that they would introduce me to one business that can make me become rich. I never knew it was armed robbery they wanted to introduce me to.”
On is arrest, he said: “At midnight when we went for robbery, I along with other seven gang members met at Markaz Road. We operated from one building to the other. Although, I didn’t follow them inside but I was placed on standby outside. My job was to keep all the looted items including money.
“We went for that operation with bullet loaded in four pump action guns. We had planned our movement for that night. We had intention to rob all the houses on the two streets but luck ran out on us as we were able to visit only five buildings before the arrival of RRS operatives. We collected a lot of money, mobile phones and jewellery to mention a few’’.
Two of his colleagues, he said opened fire in the police on sighting them approaching with their vehicle.
He said: “When we sighted the police approaching, we had no choice than to shoot them. We opened fire on them and they sponded immediately. But when we noticed that we were about to run out of bullets, we decided to take to our heels. Unfortunately for me, while other managed to escape the police arrested me because I was unable to join the waiting vehicle.
“If I had known, I would not have followed them that night. It was my first time of going out with them. I didn’t know they were into robbery but when I discovered the kind of business they wanted to introduce me to, it was too late for me to reject, they also threatened to kill me if I exposed them.”
Police spokesperson Dolapo Badmos, a Superintendent (SP), said the suspect is helping with investigation.
The command, she said, would get the fleeing robbers.
