Operatives of the Lagos special security outfit, Rapid Response Squad
(RRS), have cracked an armed robbery syndicate, which allegedly operates
from Kirikiri prison. The leaders of the syndicate, Odudu Uttah, Sunday
and Tosin who are awaiting trial were found with list of targets in
Lagos who their members had attacked and still planning to attack.
Their
gang members who were arrested include Nsima Uttah, the younger brother
of Odudu Uttah; Abayomi James, Omokaro Efe, Augustine Uchenna, Chukwuma
Onyemara, Uzuazomaro Joseph, Melvin Umeh, Ahmed Waheed and Odili
Benedict. On their arrest, a police source told Saturday Sun that
victims alerted operatives of RRS about the activities of some hoodlums
in Ayobo area in Lagos
state.
“On August 25, we got reports from
victims that their houses were broken into by suspected armed robbers.
The suspects raided their houses and left with valuables including cars.
Through intelligence gathering, we were able to trace some of the
suspects and discovered that the cars were already in Anambra State.
“The
Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, thereafter instructed that our
men should trace and recover the cars. A tracking team was sent to
Anambra and they were able to recover the cars from the buyers.
“Nine
suspects who include three buyers were arrested. In the course of
investigation, it was discovered that most of the crimes committed were
coordinated from Kirikiri prison. As such, we were able to intercept
their plan to raid more homes. The police authority has written to
Nigerian Prisons to facilitate the process of bringing out the inmates
for further investigation”, a police source disclosed.
Victims recount
Mr.
Dada who was one of their victims told the police that the robbers
gained access into his house at about 2am on August 25, 2017. “They were
the ones who woke me up as I did not hear while they were breaking in.
They were armed and started beating me up. They requested for money and I
told them I don’t have any. They searched the whole house and collected
all our phones, cloths, jewelries, laptops, Television sets and other
valuables. They packed them in my car and waited till 5am before they
left.”
Another victim simply identified as Bamidele told the
police that the armed robbers invaded his house on September 9, 2017.
“They broke my burglary proof and entered the house around 1.45am.
Before I could pick my phone to make a call, they have overpowered and
tied me up. They took all the valuables within reach and drove off with
my Toyota Camry car. ”
Suspects confess
At the police
station, the suspects admitted to have participated in several robberies
especially in Ayobo area. They alleged that their leaders who are
inmates in prison, awaiting trial, gave the addresses of their victims
to them.
One of the suspects, Nsima 33, told the police that his
journey into the criminal world dates back to 2013 after observing the
lifestyle of his elder brother, Odudu. “I used to be a bus driver but I
realized that my brother was making so much money and yet no one knows
what he does for a living. All I knew back then was that he travels a
lot, so I assumed he could be a fraudster.
It was when the
police arrested him that I knew what exactly he was doing. One of his
friends, Shokunbi who is also an armed robber asked me to raise money
and help my brother. I told him that I don’t make much money so he
taught me how to break shops.
“The little money we raised was
sent to my brother who is in prison. When I saw him, he told me to
promise that I will continue my driving job.
The temptation was
too much, so I continued breaking shops at Ajegunle and snatching bags
with the guidance of Shokunbi and his gang. After about a year, my
brother was granted bail and he went back to the same crime. Shokunbi
told him that I am good, so he had no choice but to allow me join them.
“Unfortunately,
he was arrested again at Ayobo when the people in the area alerted the
police that he was back and still committing crime. Odudu was offended,
so he made a list of all the people whom he suspected reported him to
the police and we started robbing them one after the other.”
On
how they operate, Nsima said that they normally broke into homes through
the windows. “We normally remove the burglary proof through the window
of the sitting room. Our targets in Ayobo are those with cars. Cars are
the only valuables you can get in an average man’s house. When we enter
the house, we will wait till it’s morning time, about 5am before we
drive out like every normal person. While we are waiting, we will eat
good food if there is any in the fridge. We will also tie up the people
in the house and take all their phones.
“All the cars that we got
were sold between N150, 000 and N300, 000 to one Umeh who is based in
Anambra. It was my brother who normally calls him from prison anytime
there is a product (stolen car) for sale.”
He also told the
police that there are other two houses marked for robbery in Ayobo
before police arrested them. “Odudu asked us to target a man who owns a
big Toyota car popularly called muscle because it can be sold for as
high as N400, 000. His lawyer needed that money in order to get him on
bail. We were planning to operate when policemen arrested us.”
Another
suspect, Abayomi James, alleged that there are two other persons in
prison who normally suggested who and who to attack. “We are loyal to
them because they are the ones who taught us robbery and have access to
guns. Most importantly, we have to obey them so that if police arrest
and send us to prison, they will protect us over there. I normally get
my own instruction from Sunday and Tosin. Part of the money we get from
selling cars is usually used to pay their lawyers.”
Another
suspect, Omokaro told the police that he was the one responsible for
buying all the guns used during all their robbery operations. “I am a
private security man with Oando and they pay me N25, 000 a month. It is
too small for a married man who is 48 years old. It is not even enough
to pay for house rent. I have links with people that sell guns that was
why I volunteered.”
Yet another suspect, Shokunbi, told the
police that he is awaiting trial and was released on bail after spending
18 months in prison. “Once they release you from prison, you don’t need
to go to court again. They will not even look for you because we were
told by our lawyers that once they release you on bail, you are free. I
have known Odudu for many years and we were arrested and released the
same time. Unfortunately, he was arrested again by the police.”
One
of the buyers of the stolen cars, Melvin admitted to the police that he
knew the cars were stolen. “Odudu called me from the prison that his
boys will contact me with some cars. I knew that they were stolen that
is why I pay them N150, 000 per car. Whenever they call me I will travel
to Lagos from Onitsha to pick them (stolen cars) up.”
Yet
another buyer, Ahmed Waheed said that his own role is to buy the other
valuables like Plasma TV, jewelries, phones and cloths. “I normally give
them N10, 000 for 42inch Plasma TV.”
Source: The SUN
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