Several months after they terrorised residents of Ajangbadi, Iyana Isashi and Okokomaiko in Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos State, the long arm of the law has finally caught up with three dare-devil robbers who recently killed a policeman and men of Odua People’s Congress (OPC).

The allegedly notorious robbers were arrested by men of the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT).

No fewer than four pistols and two live catridges were recovered from the suspects, identified as Solomon Boniface aka Baba Fela; Odinaka Igwe and Olutosin Omoshuyi.

They were also said to be members of the Eiye Confraternity responsible for deadly attacks in the area, including the killing of a policeman at a checkpoint where they also dispossessed the policeman of his Ak47 rifle.

Sources described the deadly gang’s leader as a 25-year-old man, who they identified as Sholly, now at large.

Residents disclosed that it was Sholly’s powerful charms that made him invisible and difficult for the police to arrest him.

The notorious robbery kingpin was said to have robbed a number of food and bars, operators of POS withdrawal points, killing many of his victims.

A police source disclosed that the suspects were apprehended after they killed a policeman.

“This is Babafela, one of the notorious armed robbers terrorising that area for a long time. He and his gang leader, known as Sholly, killed a policeman in Afromedia close to Okokomaiko and took his gun away. Then, he became sophisticated and everyone became afraid of him. Sholly is a member of Eiye confraternity and there was a man ahead of him known as Odia. He was arrested and Sholly took over from him as the head of the gang and he started killing people. After killing the policeman, he became ‘superior’ to other criminals within Ojo axis of the state and they became loyal to him. He has so far engaged in robbery activities in every part of the area and Baba-Fela was his second in command. They also killed a man who had an argument with them at Alaba Rago. Oluwatosin, aka Bebe, is the person keeping their guns for them.

‘’Sholly also killed an OPC man, who accosted him when he went for a robbery operation. While we were on Sholly’s trail, we got information about Oluwatosin and we stormed his house and recovered a revolver pistol from him. We then arrested one Odinaka, who is the gang’s motorbike rider, and we also recovered one fabricated pistol, a locally made pistol and two life cartridges(from him),’’ he added.

Confessing, Boniface, aka Baba Fela, a native of Cross Rivers State, said he became a robber after he joined the Eiye Confraternity and became friend with Sholly.

He said he became friend with Sholly after they met at a hemp joint and he subsequently lured him into robbery. He said: “I have a child and I am also an electrician. I joined the Eiye Confraternity and I was initiated at NEPA road area of the market in Ojo.

‘’During my initiation, hot (alcoholic) drinks were poured on my head and I was beaten; they told me that I had been initiated into the Eyie Confraternity. Then I met one Sholly who used to spend plenty of money at a (hemp) smoking joint in Alaba Rago and since we are members of the Eiye confraternity, we became friends. He used to buy hemp and drinks for us and there was a day he invited me to meet him at Alaba Rago and when I got there around 8pm, I saw two other persons known as Taju and Afeez Olopa. We then went to Old Ojo Road on a motorbike and we robbed a man going home from the market with a bag full of money.

‘’It was Sholly that brought the connection for the operation and I got N350,000 as my share. Then I started going out with him for various robbery operations. I was with Sholly the day the policeman was killed at Afromedia and Sholly then handed over his gun to me and started using the policeman’s gun. We robbed several bars and eateries together. When the police came looking for us. Sholly went into hiding but I was arrested.”

On his part, Odinaka Igwe, 24, a native of Nkanu area of Enugu State, said he joined the Sholly gang after he joined the Eiye Confraternity.

Hear him: “I am a motorcycle operator and I joined Eiye Confraternity in 2018 and it was one of my friends, a Togolese that made me join the confraternity.

‘’After I joined the cult group, I became friends with one Odia who resides close to my shop and we became friends. He linked me to one Aboy and Sholly and we started going for robbery operations together. We robbed several hotels along the Alaba road and one at Old Daniel. After that robbery, Odia used his own share to celebrate his father’s burial and a fight broke out there. In the process, one of his friends alerted the police about his activities and they came to arrest him.

‘’But before the police got to his house, his wife had moved out the guns in the house and given their armourer to keep. Then I started working with Sholly with the gun and we were very successful, but the police started looking for Sholly and they trailed him to my house and arrested me and recovered the guns.’’ (The Nation)

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