Onitsha robbers meet waterloo in Lagos • 42 others arrested

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a five-man gang of notorious armed robbers, who came from Onitsha, Anambra State, to operate in Lekki and Ajah areas of the state. The suspects are specialists in car-snatching and house burglary.









They were said to have gone to Ajah in March 2012 and robbed
its residents. They carted away household equipment and snatched over five Sport Utility Vehicles (SUV), which were later disposed off in Onitsha.

It was gathered that when they came to Ajah, they robbed one Ayo Babayomi of his money. They were said to have escorted him to a bank where he was forced to use his ATM card to withdraw more than N150,000. They also collected his wife’s gold jewelry.

The suspects were alleged to have kept their victim in the bush before they went away with his SUV. Babayomi reported the matter at Ogobo Police Station, which prompted men of SARS to swing into action. After an exchange of gunfire, two members of the gang leaders escaped while three were arrested.
The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Umar Manko, told Daily Sun that the three suspects confessed that the four SUV, which they had snatched, were in Onitsha where they had been received.

“Two of the armed robbers took the SARS to Onitsha and they arrested the receiver and the SUVs. Unfortunately, the suspects escaped from the policemen but they were re-arrested,” Manko said. The officer in charge of the SARS, Supol Abbas Kyari, said: “I have to deploy more policemen with the effort of Supol Jame Okere and the two suspects, their herbalist, who is a brother to the nurse, who treated the suspects of their injuries.” “The herbalist took them to a village where they were treating the suspects of their bones before the policemen arrested them with the herbalist and the nurse.”
A leader of the robbery syndicate, Patson Oguru (not real name), said he had spent four years in Onitsha Prison and that it was there he formed his own gang.

Babayomi told Daily Sun that he was driving home on March 23 about 7.30pm when he was attacked: “One came out and broke my car glass. They quickly entered the car and collected my money. They followed me to my house at Ajah where they collected my wife’s jewelry, my shoes and a wrist watch and N45,000 cash. “They followed me to my bank and with my ATM card, we withdrew over N150,000. They then took me to the bush and later released me and took away my car. I can recognise the four suspects. I thank the SARS men for being able to recover my car. I am so impressed and I thank the CP for the strategies that enabled them to succeed.”

Manko said the suspects would soon be charged to court after the completion of investigation. In another development, the command recently arrested over 45 suspected armed robbers, including a 62-year-old ex-military man at various locations in the state. Manko said 10 suspects were also killed during encounters with the police during the period while 38 arms and 277 ammunition were recovered.

He said the command recovered over 71 stolen vehicles from the suspects. The command equally arrested suspects, who used motorcycles, popularly called Okada, to opertae. More than 40 okadas used by the suspects were recovered.
In addition, four suspects, operating on motorcycles were arrested at the Afromedia, Okokomaiko, Lagos/Badagry Expressway. Manko said policemen recovered Bajaj motocycles, two AK47 rifles with 20 rounds of ammunition, two magazines and a big pair of pliers. Those arrested are undergoing interrogation with the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

According to him, other notorious suspects, who specialised in using motorcycles to rob in the state but resided in Ogun State were arrested. The gang snatched a new okada at Iyana Ipaja, a Lagos suburb, the residents chased them and two of them were arrested. One of the suspects (name witheld), spoke with Daily Sun: “We specialised in stealing new okada at Iyana Ipaja, Lagos. When we went there on this particular day, we stole a new okada and sold it at Ifo, Ogun State and my share was N50,000. The second time we operated I got a share of N35,000. The third time I was given N40,0000.

“After our operation, we met at Sango Otta and from there went to Iyana Ipaja together in a commercial bus. But the last time we operated after snatching the okada, we were chased by the residents of Iyana Ipaja and there policemen arrested us.”

Kyari said the suspects were arrested at Iyana Ipaja and that the residents had made several complaints about them before they were arrested. Manko said the suspects would be charged to court after the conclusion of the investigations.