Please dont let my parents know I am a phone thief – suspect pleads

A suspected telephone thief who was arrested with his accomplice, has pleaded with the operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of Lagos State Police Command not to allow his parents find out that he engages in phone theft in Lagos. The suspected phone thieves, Ufoma Asakpa, 22, and Augustine Omedo, 20, were arrested after trying to steal a phone from a shop at Abule-Oja in Yaba on Oct. 13.

When interrogated, one of the suspects who hails from Ndokwa Local Government Area in Delta State, told NAN that his parents must not find out that he was into stealing.

“I was a secondary school dropout. I was unable to proceed to senior classes after I failed Junior WAEC. My parents took me to my brother’s shop to learn how to repair generators but I couldn’t endure the period of apprenticeship. While looking for ways to earn quick money, I met my partner who introduced me to stealing. I joined him about 10 months ago and the police never caught us. In fact, my parents must not know that I am a thief because I leave home every day as if I was going to work. I have regretted my actions for taking to stealing for survival. It is the devil that pushed me into it,’’ he said

His accomplice when interrogated said

“When I entered the shop pretending to buy a sachet of water to cook rice, I saw a phone charging in that shop. I took the phone and switched it off immediately. My partner had also gone to another shop to steal phones too. We had successfully stolen those phones but suddenly, we saw RRS men chasing us. As we were about to mount on our motorcycle, we were crossed and arrested,’’ he said in his confessional statement.

Speaking on their arrest, Rapid Response Squad (RRS) commander, ACP Olatunji Disu, said that the thieves were arrested after they successfully stole three handsets from a shop in the Abule Oja area in Yaba, Lagos.

“Our policemen who were on routine patrol around Yaba axis got a distress call from victims informing them that there were thieves who robbed them of their valuables. The suspects took to their heels but the policemen chased and caught them while they attempted to mount a motorcycle, popularly known as Okada. The duo was conveyed to the squad’s headquarters in Alausa for interrogation. Upon completion of our preliminary investigation, we discovered that the two suspects specialized in stealing phones and other valuable items under the pretence of buying products from any shop they visited. The suspects confirmed that their tricks was to disguise as buyers and once they found out that the seller is sleeping or off their sights, they will pick their phones, money and other valuables,’’ he said

The suspects have confessed to stealing over 70 phones which they sell to a certain man named Alfa. They have both been transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the command for further investigation.

Source: NAN