The police have smashed a four-man robbery gang which terrorised Lagos and Ogun states.
The suspects are Daniel Thomas, 27, Chukwuemeka Nkem 32, Ogaga Feja, 27 and Oluchukwu Anene, 27.
Two locally made single barrel short guns and seven live cartridges were recovered from them.
Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Zone II Onikan Lagos Joseph Mbu said three of the suspects – Thomas, Nkem and Feja- were arrested on July 13 at Wilmer area of Ajegunle, Lagos, following a tip off.
Anene, he added, was caught the following day by the Zonal Special Anti-robbery Squad (ZSARS).
The robbers, Mbu said, usually dispossessed victims of their belongings around Mile 2 during traffic snarl.
Feja said he was lured to join the gang.
“I had been remanded in Ikoyi Prison for armed robbery. I was granted bail but, while I was in prison on July 4, I was given a contact to meet Thomas and Nkem. My case is still pending in court but it is foolish to die of hunger and wise to go to prison again. I have no regret because I am alive,” he said.
Nkem, an ex-convict, who drives a commercial bus on the CMS Mile 2 route, said he joined the gang because he has no bus of his own.
He said: “I came out of Kirikiri Prison two months ago. I met Feja and Thomas in an Indian hemp smoking joint and they asked me to join them to collect something. Along the line, they told me that they wanted to go and steal a car and that they have ready standby receivers. They said my role was to drive the motor as a good driver.”
Anene, a hip-hop musician, said his relationship with Nkem in prison made him to develop a criminal mind.
“Nkem told me to meet one of his friends called Feja to bring me. My life changed after meeting Feja. I regret meeting him because I am the kind of person that is contented with what I have.
Thomas said he participated in robbery three times but the third one failed because “we were arrested at planning stage.”
A bakery owner has been critically injured while trying to stop his employee from carrying out a robbery attack on his home.
Sunday Olufemi a.k.a. Omoga allegedly attacked his boss, Abel Kayode Ogunsakin, at the latter’s residence in Shagamu, Ogun State at about 11.30 pm on June 30, 2015.
It was alleged that on the day in question, Ogunsakin sighted Olufemi sneaking into his residence at No 5, Okedeji Street, Shagamu.
Our correspondent learnt that Olufemi allegedly beat up Ogunsakin when the latter made to raise the alarm in a bid to apprehend him, but he suffered a bloody face and lost a tooth while Olufemi escaped.
Bystanders, who were attracted to the scene by the alarm Ogunsakin raised, were said to have taken him to a nearby private hospital for treatment when they noticed that he had lost a lot of blood.
It was gathered that Olufemi had worked in Ogunsakin’s bakery for three years before he was sacked for misconduct and later reinstated.
Our correspondent learnt that Olufemi allegedly continued to engage in stealing money from his colleagues and boss shortly after he was reinstated.
An impeccable source who asked not to be named told our correspondent that “Ogunsakin, who owns Timmy Bakery Ltd, had sacked Olufemi not long ago for engaging in unwholesome acts but reinstated him after some people had pleaded on his behalf.
Ogunsakin was said to have taken him back when he explained that he had no money to feed his family because he was jobless.
“Olufemi however continued to engage in all kinds of misconduct, including stealing from his boss and colleagues at work. He narrowly escaped being arrested in April last year when he was caught by his boss inside one of his rooms but he lied that he was taking refuge there to avoid being caught by some assailants who were pursuing him.”
“Ogunsakin did not know that Olufemi had entered the building through the ceiling and was hiding in the corridor of the house. It was while Ogunsakin was trying to know where Olufemi was hiding that he landed several blows on his face, leading to the loss of his tooth and the blood that covered his face.”
It was learnt that the incident was first reported to the men of the MTD Station at Sagamu before it was transferred to a police division opposite Awolowo Market, also in Sagamu.
Our correspondent contacted the spokesman of Ogun State Police Command, Mr Muyiwa Adejobi for comments, but he had not responded at press time.
The Chairman, Divine Estate Residents Association, Sir Emma Orji yesterday, denied that there was robbery in the neighbourhood.
Orji was reacting to an alleged armed robbery attack on a popular hotel in the area in the wee hours of Wednesday.
A source who claimed she was at the hotel when it happened said the robbers forced customers to submit their ATM cards and pin numbers which they used to withdraw money. Another customer was coerced to transfer N2.5 million through mobile banking.
But Orji, who spoke to this reporter on the telephone said nothing of such happened there.
“There was no robbery in or around Divine Estate. I am the Chairman of Divine Estate and I can tell you that we have capable security men here.
‘I was with the Area Commander, Dan Okoro (ACP), even the DPO has come here and I told them the same thing. There was no robbery around here.”
Similarly, the hotel management denied the robbery.
Its owner and manager who spoke with this reporter said the information must have emanated from their rivals and detractors.
But during a visit to the hotel yesterday, plain-clothe security personnel were seen in the vicinity.
The owner said: “Because we are successful, we will have enemies. I think that information must have come from our detractors who want to see our downfall.
“I have spoken with the Area Commander and the DPO on the matter”.
Although they all denied, the source insisted it happened.
She said: “Did you expect them to admit it? The hotel does not want to lose customers.”
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Festac Town, Mr. Ifeanyi Owo, yesterday threatened to ‘deal with’ this reporter for reporting the robbery.
Owo called the reporter’s telephone threatening fire and brimstone and demanded that the source of the information be disclosed.
Lagos police spokesman DSP Ken Nwosu said: “The DPO is angry about that story. He said his men have gone round and could not confirm it. I don’t know why you published that story after I told you I have called and no such case was reported by any hotel.
“Who gave you that information? We want to know your source”.
A bus conductor, Sunday Olalekan, was yesterday sentenced to 21 years imprisonment by a Lagos high court sitting in Ikeja for robbery.
The court presided by Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye found Olalekan guilty of robbing one Nkong Remi on February 14, 2013.
The convict, 22, was arraigned by Lagos State Government on a one-count charge of robbery.
He pleaded not guilty.
The prosecutor, Akin George had accused Olalekan of robbing his victim, Remi, of her handbag, phones and other valuables on February 13, 2013.
He said the robbery took place at Gani Fawehinmi Garden Ojota, in the Ikeja Judicial Division.
During trial, Remi had told the court that she was driving an ash colour 4runner Jeep on February 14, 2013 going to drop her sister at the park around 6:15am when the robbery took place.
“There was small traffic jam so we slowed down. I heard a loud shout and as I turned to my side, there was a black boy with a mark on his eye, he was accompanied by two other boys, he came to the car window and forced it down. The other two boys jumped in”, she told court.
Remi further explained that their assailants also robbed her sister, rough handled her and fondled her breast before she could drive off.
“I returned back to Gani Fawehinmi’s park around 7am and asked the boys at the park and they told me that some boys were caught and taken to Alausa Police Station.
“When I arrived the station, they asked me if I can recognise the boys and I said yes I will recognize the one with a swollen eye. They took me in and I recognised him (convict),”she added.
However, Olalekan, who testified in Yoruba language, had denied all the allegations.
He claimed to have gone to 7up at Ojota to wait for his boss, one Tunde, but he failed to meet him at the appointed place.
“I met one Jelili, a co-conductor with whom I work with Tunde. After waiting for Tunde till 6pm and we did not see him, Jelili suggested that we should go to the new garage to see if we can see another motor to work with.
“We were approaching New Garage when we saw those PSP people at Owens Park and claimed that some people has robbed a motorist not quite long.
“They stated further that we are the people that robbed them. They started beating us and later handed us over to the police. I did not rob any person or persons,” the convict stated.
Delivering her ruling, the presiding judge, Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye, held that the testimony of the victim, Remi, was unshaken during cross-examination.
The trial judge noted that the victim was able to identify the assailant because he was close to her and put his hand in her dress to rough handle her and fondle her breast, looking for money.
“I have carefully considered the total evidence of the prosecution. The essential ingredient is that there must be a robbery and the accused was one of those who took part in the robbery. However none of the stolen items were recovered.
“I have carefully studied Exhibit 1, which is the statement of the defendant. The defendant was in the company of his friend (Jelili) when he was arrested on February 14, 2013.
“In the light of what I have said, I hereby find you Sunday Olalekan guilty of the offence of robbery and sentence you to 21 years imprisonment as stated by law,” the judge said.
The police in Sokoto State have killed one and arrested two members of a notorious armed robbery gang during a gun duel.
The robbers have been terrorising residents of Malagam and Gidan-Daji villages in Tangaza and Wurno councils.
The command recovered exhibits, including a rifle with 22mm calibre of ammunition, three rounds of live ammunition, a cutlass and a stick.
The police also arrested Nasiru Mijinyawa of the newly-established Sokoto State Marshal Agency and two others, Uche Opkara and Ndubuisi Okafor, for alleged car theft.
They were alleged to have specialised in removing cars from parks with the connivance of Mijinyawa, who allegedly provided them with a master key for the operations.
“Okpara and Okafor, who hail from Delta State, live at Diplomat in Sokoto.
“The duo removed a Toyota Camry with registration number JR394KJA from where it was parked and took it to Asaba where they were arrested.”
The command recovered exhibits, including a rifle with 22mm calibre of ammunition, three rounds of live ammunition, cutlass and stick.
Briefing reporters yesterday in Sokoto on the success by the command, Police Commissioner Salisu Fagge Abdullahi said the gang was led by Abdullahi Mamman, “a notorious robber and they killed Ladan Mohammed.”
He went on: “Other members of the gang escaped during the attack. Mamman was arrested last June.
“The police launched a manhunt for the escapee- members and it paid off on June 4 when the gang struck again at Gidan-Daji village during which the police attacked the robbers. One of them was killed in a gun duel and the leader, Yanta Garba, was arrested.”
According to him, two other members of the gang, Bami Shehu and Shehu Abdullahi alias ‘Dan-Illela’, who is the armourer, have also been arrested.
Fagge said the command has arrested Jamilu Ahmed, a member of a group of miscreants terrorising people at Rijiya in the Sokoto metropolis.
“The robbers attacked a dealer of mobile phones and accessories. Two people were injured and dispossessed of their phones. One of the suspects was arrested through information.
“He assisted the police in the arrest of four others- Kasimu Abubakar ‘alias’ Timaya, Mudassiru Umar ‘alias’ Black, Ibrahim Abdullahi and Tsalha Ibrahim ‘alias’ Dansharri. Four members of the gang are still at large.
Exhibits recovered from them are Gienee P3 phone, two Sim cards and a sword.”
Two dismissed soldiers, Sunday Osor and Matthew Arome, with three others have been arrested by Lagos State Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) operatives for alleged armed robbery.
Osor told the police that his gang creates accident scenes for easy snatching of vehicles.
Others are Ebere John, Ikechukwu Chilaka and Ifeanyi Chukwu.
According to the police, the gang trails its target and on getting close, it hits the motorist to provoke him.
“Once the driver comes out, the gang leader will point gun at the driver, force him into their vehicle and drive off with the other vehicle. They also pretended to be policemen or soldiers on surveillance to intimidate the driver before snatching the vehicle,” the police said.
Luck ran out on them when they robbed a woman on Igando Road, abducted and dropped her on Obadore Bridge and zoomed off with her car.
The woman reported to the police.
The police recovered a Berretta pistol and one locally-made double-barrel gun and six live ammunition. Eight other vehicles including a Lexus Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), Toyota Highlander and Gulf car were also recovered.
Osor led the police to the arrest of others.
Osor, who said he was dismissed from the Army as Lance Corporal, said he used military uniform to deceive victims.
“I help the gang to intimidate victims. I sit in our operational vehicle with army uniform and when a victim sees me, he will think that we are Task Force men. I was dismissed in 2010. I was lured into armed robbery by one Danjuma Suleiman a.k.a DJ. My wife is a teacher. When we want to snatch any car, we will first hit the car from behind, pretending it was an accident. When the victim stops and alight from her car, we start operation. I handed some of the snatched cars to a receiver at Onitsha called Ifeanyi,” he said.
Ifeanyi said: “I am from Umunze, Orumba South local government area of Anambra State. I met Sunday in Kirikiri Prison in 2013. I sell motor spare parts. The Customs seized my goods and I lost all I had. Luckily, Sunday told me that he had contacts with a gang that could supply enough cars to me to make me recover again from my financial problem. That was how I became a receiver. I have received more than three cars from the gang; I used to pay them completely. “Sunday was the one bringing vehicles to me. I went to prison over a minor case,” he said.
Arome, a driver from Olamoboro in Kogi State, claimed he was dismissed as a Lance Corporal in the Army because he fled the battlefield in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, to join his pregnant wife at home.
A 25-years-old man yesterday said he was forced into robbery after his two tricycles popularly known as keke marwa were confiscated by the Task Force.
Emmanuel Godwin was paraded in Lagos yesterday by the Lagos for tricycle theft.
He said, he decided to rob to meet his financial demands.
“What made me to go into snatching Keke Marwa was my losing two Keke Marwa to Task Force from Alausa. I was doing barbing work before I joined the gang. If I am released, I will not steal again,” Godwin, 28, from Ekpoma in Edo State, said.
According to police, the suspect usually poses as a passenger and hires tricycle and on getting to a convenient place, he would push the owner out and zoom off with the tricycle, especially in black spots.
In a police parlance, “black spots” are areas of high crime rate.
The suspect steals tricycles parked on the street, in front of a compound or near a restaurant.
He was first arrested by the Zonal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (ZSARS) on January 1.
Luck ran out against him when he stole another tricycle last week and the owner reported to the police.
The police tracked Godwin down to Ijora where he planned to sell the tricycle. He was arrested when he returned to collect money from a SARS official, who posed as the buyer.
The suspect said: “I am a tricycle snatcher not an armed robber because I don’t use gun. I steal from parks and when I ask a tricycle rider for a test drive and he allows me I run away with the tricycle.
“I used to sell each tricycle I snatched or stole for N60,000. I stole five tricycles and sold them to one man known as Aye at Ijora. I also sold two to one Liwan but the market price of a tricycle is N400, 000. Aye still owes me for the two tricycles sold to him while Liwan owes me for one tricycle.
“I was following one gang before I decided to be a one-man squad. I was taken to the gang by one of my friends called Babatunde now late. He died of taking hard drugs like cocaine, heroin and Indian hemp. I also smoke Indian hemp four times a day. Each wrap is N50.
“I did not know that they were tricycle snatchers until they used me five times to go and deliver to a buyer at Ijora. They used to give me N5,000 after each delivery. When I felt that they were cheating me, I decided to go solo. The first tricycle I sold I got N60, 000. I gave N25, 000 to my late colleague for helping me to get a buyer.
“I am married with two children. Till now my wife is not aware that I am arrested and I don’t want her to know because she is hypertensive. Even my mother is hypertensive and I don’t want her to know also.
The police have arrested three robbery suspects in Abeokuta, the state capital.
Saheed Aro, Mustapha Arogundade (aka Sego) and Akeem Odejinmi were arrested, following a tip-off by the Divisional Police Officer of Ibara, Adebowale Lawal.
The arrest ofAro, the perceived gang leader in Igbein, led to the capture of two others yesterday.
Guns, axes, cutlasses, jack knife and charms were recovered from them.
Police spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi said the Commissioner of Police, Val Ntomchukwu, has instructed that investigation begins immediately.
Adejobi said the case would be transferred to the Department of Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Unit, Eleweran.
He reiterated the command’s commitment to provide adequate security in the state.
Ebonyi State Police Command has busted a robbery syndicate. One of the suspects was said to have been deported from Greece.
The three-man gang, it was gathered, robbed one Mrs Maureen Nnebuife of the sum of N650,000.
They have been paraded at the State Police Command headquarters, Abakaliki, by the Commissioner of Police, Maigari Dikko.
The CP said the command’s Security and Investigation Bureau nabbed the suspects after a painstaking investigation.
The suspects included one Okechukwu Okolie, 27, who reportedly returned from Greece recently. His residential address was given as No. 23 Iweka Road, 9th Mile, Enugu State. Another suspect, Nnabude Onwudiwe, 28, was said to hail from Achi Village, Oji-River, Enugu State, while Sunday Achu, 38, of Umulokpa Nsukka, Enugu State was named as the third man in the gang.
The CP said: “Along Afikpo Road close to Romchi Park, the trio-in-crime accosted Maureen Ekechi Nnebuife, 29, residing at No. 7 Convent Road, Abakaliki and beguiled her into their red-coloured Golf car with registration number Ondo AM 763 NND”.
“One of the miscreants feigned to have just arrived from Greece and didn’t know his way around town and needed to be directed to any nearby Eye Clinic for medication”.
“While in the car, the said woman was dispossessed of the sum of N50, 000 cash which her husband sent her to…deposit in a bank”.
“Not yet done with her, the crooks forced her under threat to her mother’s residence at Onueke and robbed her of N600, 000 cash which the poor woman trades with in her meat business”.
“On a tip-off, the hoodlums were trailed to Spera en-Deo Junction and nabbed by Sub operatives. The aforesaid red Golf car was recovered as exhibit”.
One of the suspects, Okechukwu described his gang as OBT people (419ners), explaining that their victim was robbed for her greediness.
He said: “It is out of her greediness and that was why she was robbed. I was deported from Greece because of the crisis there and this is just my two months I was deported.”
On his part, Sunday Agu said he ventured into crime after being duped in his trading business.
The CP who was represented at the event by the command’s spokesman, DSP Chris Anyanwu said the command also rescued one Chidinma Nwaji, a 28-year-old man from a thick forest in Cross River State after he was abducted by ritual murderers.
He said: “On the 6th day of May, 2015, Chidinma Nwaji, a 28-year-old man of Ikenyi Ndiebor Ezza-Inyimagu, Izzi Local Government Area, Ebonyi State embarked on a journey back to his place of abode”.
“When approaching the Motor Park, he felt that somebody whom he couldn’t recognise tapped him and from that moment he lost consciousness and never knew any other thing that happened to him until he recovered and found himself in a strange bush”.
“On getting wind of the disappearance of the said Chidinma Nwaji, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad of this Command swung into action and trailed the victim to Okondo Village in Ogoja Local Government Area, Cross-River State where he was eventually rescued on from a bush”.
“He confided in the operatives that the hoodlums who abducted him wanted to kill and use him for money rituals but fortunately when they cut his forehead and took his blood sample for test, the witch doctor rejected it, saying that his blood is not the type required for the rituals”.
DSP Anyanwu said investigation is ongoing to unravel the miscreants behind the dastardly act.
Meanwhile, CP Dikko has decorated promoted police spokesman Anyanwu and 12 others, urging them to see their elevation as added responsibility.
Anyanwu was promoted from Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP).
•Officers of the command
In the promotion, 12 officers were promoted from ASP to DSP while one was promoted from the rank of CSP to SP.
Addressing the newly promoted officers, Maigari thanked the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase for finding them worthy of the elevation and called on them to see their promotions as added responsibility.
While congratulating the officers, he said they have a long way to go in the force and urged them to redouble their efforts to continue to grow.
Responding on behalf of the promoted officers, DSP Chris Anyanwu expressed gratitude to the police service commission for the promotion.
The officer promoted from DSP to SP was Abel Inya while those promoted to the rank of DSP included Michael Ayogu, Joshua Maigoroson, Honesty Onyeneke, Bethel Ejike, Ifeanyi Osuji and James Arikpo.
Others were Uzor Aiyeba, Kazeem Adegoke, Peter Josiah, Peter Enighe, Victor Obasogie and Amaralam Chika.
