A man accused of organising armed robbers to rob his best friend on four different occasions is now in police net.

The gang robbed a BET9JA shop at Ogechi Street in Aba, Abia State, where they struck four times between July and September this year. However, on October 5, police from Ndiegoro Division, Aba, arrested members of the deadly gang who were said to have been terrorising Aba and environs.

Based on advice from the police, the shop owner, a lawyer, installed security devices which the police said would not only protect the shop but would assist them to carry out investigations if any robbery occurred in the shop again.

Abia State Commissioner of Police, Adeleye Oyebade, told newsmen in Umuahia on Thursday that the measures paid off when the gang attacked the shop again and the suspects, one Joseph Umah, 23, and Ifeanyi Chukwundukwe, 32, were identified and arrested.

Other members of the gang arrested are Ijioma Akano Godwin and Ifeanyi Okocha described as a notorious receiver of stolen goods who bought one of the stolen laptops from the shop for N15,000. According to Oyebade, the suspects are believed to be members of the gang that attacked and killed two policemen at Ogbor Hill, Aba early this year.

The lawyer who owns the shop, while answering questions from newsmen, accused another suspect by name Okey Nwafor, a man he described as his best friend, of giving information to the robbers.

He said: “I run a betting shop and on four occasions, armed robbers have been coming and stealing and carting away properties there. They came for the first and second operations in July and two times in September.

“After the second robbery, I installed security devices to enable me get the real criminals because before then, I have had rumours with respect to who were involved, but I needed to be sure, so I had to install CCTV cameras.

“So, after the third and the fourth visit by these criminals, I was able to get their pictures and with that, the police was able to arrest some of them.

“But interestingly and surprisingly too, I discovered that the brain behind all those robberies that have been taking place in my shop is my best friend. He has been the one giving them useful information on when to visit, how to get those things.

“Since some of suspects were arrested, their gang leader has called me and asked me to calculate the value of all that they stole, that he was ready to pay for them but I wanted to know how they were striking at periods some valuable things were moved into the shop. They told me it was my friend, Okey Nwafor, that he is the one who has been advising them to come and steal from my shop.”

But Nwafor stoutly denied the charge, saying that he was being roped into the crime by a notorious criminal in their neighbourhood who accused him (Nwafor) of exposing them to his lawyer friend.

He said he was the one leading his friend to go and identify the suspects, adding that the suspects boasted to him that they would rope him in.

The Commissioner of Police, advised members of the public to take proactive measures to protect their property and premises by fixing security devices which could help to deter potential criminals or assist in detecting crimes.

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