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| The Suspects |
Lagos police team arrested a four man gang for allegedly terrorizing residents
of ikorodu, Lagos state
It was learnt that the suspects – Akin Ayotunde, Isaac Ogbonna, Sola
Dede and Sodiq Lawal – specialized in lurking around houses at night and
switching off their victims’ generators before attacking them.
They were arrested while invading a duplex owned by a man identified as
Bellow Hakeem in igbe, ikorodu, lagos
According to source, the suspects spent six hours in the victim’s
duplex and went away with his car, generator, money, phones, Automated Teller
Machine cards, modems, laptops and cash.
They also stole his wife’s jewellery and withdrew N100,000 using one of
the ATM cards.
It was learnt that around 11.09pm on Tuesday, he observed that his
generator suddenly went off and he asked two of his children to go outside and
fix the problem.
“About five minutes after they
left, they were forced back into the house by four men, who were armed with
knives.
“They ordered us to cooperate with them. They searched the house and
made away with three laptops, six phones, three ATM cards, a new 3.5KVA
generator, one 75alms battery, two modems, jewellery, cash, and my Toyota
Corolla. They held my family hostage for six hours before leaving at about 6am
the next day,” he added.
Hakeem, an environmental scientist, said he reported the incident at
the Ijede Police Station, adding that the suspects were able to withdraw
N100,000 from his First Bank account before he deactivated all the stolen ATM
cards.
He said two days after the incident, a friend called him that a car
that looked like his own had been put up for sale.
He said operatives from the SCIID, Yaba, were alerted and the suspects
were rounded up.
The four suspects, who confessed to the crime, said they operated with
knives to avoid bloodshed.
The gang leader, Ayotunde, 27, said, “I used to sell garri with my
grandma in a market before a former Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola,
demolished shops in the market. I tried another job, but it didn’t work.
“I then sold the idea of robbing houses to my friends and we agreed to
use only knives and not guns. We always lurk around developing areas in Ikorodu
at night, look for any house that had its generator on, scale the fence and put
off the generator. When the occupants of the house come out to check the
generator, we attack. We made N60,000 from our first operation in March.
“I was arrested when the man whom I had given the man’s car to called
me that he had found a buyer. He said the buyer had paid N700,000 for the
vehicle and that I should come for my share. We agreed to meet at a restaurant
in Ojota. But on getting there, I discovered that it was a set up and I was
arrested.”
Ogbonna, 23, an indigene of Ebonyi State, said he was looking for money
for the treatment of his elder sister when he was invited to join the gang.
“My sister needed blood transfusion and I had to look for money by all
means. I got N25,000 from the operation,” he added.
The third suspect, 24-year-old Dede, from Ondo State, said he joined
the group because he was told nobody would be killed, adding that he needed
money to change his apartment.
He said, “An Alfa told me to move out of my family house because there
was a spiritual force working against the success of men in the house. I needed
money to change my apartment.”
The police also arrested the receiver of some of the stolen items,
Akeem Lawal, who claimed that the suspects lied to him that the goods were
imported.
The Police Public Relations officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the
arrest, adding that investigations were ongoing.
She said, “The last house they robbed belonged to a couple who quickly
alerted the police. They were trailed and arrested. They are currently
undergoing interrogation at the command.”
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