I used robbery proceeds to train my daughter in school - robbery suspect

A member of an armed robbery gang who gave his name as Afeez said he used the proceeds he got from armed robbery to send his daughter to school. Afeez and his partner Wasiu were apprehended recently by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, Ikeja, Lagos at a checkpoint in Mushin while on their way to an operation. 

 

According to the police, the young men boarded a taxi at Oshodi around 11pm and were heading to Mushin when they came across a police checkpoint. Seeing the police checkpoint ahead, they became jittery, commanding the cab man to stop them and even tried forcing the door open. The taxi driver suspecting that they were criminals drove quickly to the police checkpoint where he immediately intimated the police officers of his suspicions. A local made gun was discovered on them. Continue...

Confessing to armed robbery, Lekan who says he is married with a daughter said he took to armed robbery a year ago

"Iam from Osun state, I am married, I have a daughter, I joined the gang 12 months ago, I have participated in five robbery operations within Lagos and Ogun states. I have not made much from the robbery operation. Sometimes, I make N20, 000, N15, 000 or N30, 000. I also make money from selling phones, gold and valuables we steal during operations. I was selling Indian hemp at Ojuelegba before the Aiye cult boys forced me to join them, that was how I started robbery with the gang. I was a cobbler when I lost my mother, I could not continue because there was nobody to support me. I have worked as a bus conductor for more than nine years; I sold Indian hemp for three years before I joined the gang last year when Legba introduced me to the gang. We only use the guns to scare people during operations. I have never killed anyone and I have never raped anyone. That night, Legba called me on phone to come to Oshodi. When I got there, he gave me a gun to take to his wife at Mushin but on our way, police arrested us. I knew him when I was selling Indian hemp but I didn’t know that he was an armed robber. I am the one who introduced Wasiu into the armed robbery gang. We live in the same area in Iyana- Itire area of Lagos state. I have a four-year- old daughter, I use proceeds from the robbery operations to train my daughter in school. I regret joining the group." he said 

 The other member of the gang, Wasiu said he took to armed robbery his year

"I joined the gang this year and I have also participated in five robbery operations in Lagos state. We are nine in the group. I was introduced into the gang by Afeez. I was at Mushin when he asked me to accompany him to Osohdi when the gang leader called him. When we got there, he told us to take a gun to his wife which was what we were doing when we were arrested. I have not made anything from the operations. If I ever get out of this, I will never rob again. I am a trained mechanic but I don’t like the work, that is why I joined the gang to make a living.” Wasiu said