Policemen attached to Olosan division in Mushin area of Lagos have arrested three robbery suspects who have been terrorising residents of the area.

The suspects: Olalekan Sonni 32, Olarewanju Olakunmi 40 and Akorede Adeoke 24, were discovered during preliminary investigation, to have been arrested and sent to prison several times, over similar offence.

The youngest among them, Adeoke, who confessed to being a burglar, told Crime Guard that he was forced into it because his family was poor. Adeoke, who also revealed that he was a barber, said he used proceeds from his barbing profession and robbery to keep body and soul together.

He confessed to belonging to a four-man gang that specialised in breaking into people’s homes and shops to steal telephones and other items.

further confessed that he had been arrested four times, charged to court twice and sent to prison twice but was discharged and acquitted by the court as there was no solid evidence against him.

Sojourn into gang world

Adeoke said “I started stealing when I was 20 years old, which was about four years ago because my family is very poor. A member of the gang called ‘Mosquito’ introduced me to robbery.

“We called him mosquito, nobody knew his real name or where he lived. I met other members of the gang where we used to smoke Indian hemp at a ghetto in Mushin. We were four in number.

“We broke into people’s houses to steal phones. I have broken into shops three times to steal. I was arrested four times. While in the police station, I tried to escape”.

Search for transport fare

On his part, Sonni, a Secondary school drop-out from Ilorin, Kwara State, said he was just released from prison last month.

He told Crime Guard that after he was discharged and acquitted by the court, he had no option than to go back to robbery same month, with the intention of using the money realised as transport fare to his village in Kwara State.

Sonni, a Carpenter, said, “I traveled all the way from Kwara state to see my brother, but before I could get to Mushin, the area where he told me he lived, my phone was stolen and I couldn’t reach him. “I had to join a robbery gang so that I could make some money to take care of myself and also to be able to go back to Kwara. I have not seen my brother since I came and I don’t know where he lived in Mushin. Bullets in private part Sonni, further stated that the first time he was arrested, he was found with a locally-made gun.

He said, “I was arrested with a gun. Someone at Idi-Oro gave it to us. I was also found with bullets in my private part. Whenever we were going for an operation, we would hide bullets in our private parts. “We hid bullets there so that in the event of any arrest, we would throw the gun away and when searched, nothing incriminating would be found on us.

Attempt to escape

“While in the Police station, I and some other suspects discussed how we would break the wall and escape from the station. I tried to escape from the police station so that I could go back to my village but could not.

In his own account, Olakunmi, who had earlier been arrested over unlawful possession of a gun in 2018, said that he was arrested on March 12, 2020, when he went to help his friend who had issues with a prostitute he had sex with, at a brothel

He said “At about 11pm, I was leaving Mushin, for Cement, when I got a call from a friend Toheeb. He told me he had sex with a prostitute, and that he did not ejaculate, but his slippers were seized. “I went to meet him at the hotel and spoke with the manager. But the manager insisted he would only release the slippers to my friend but would not refund the money he paid to the prostitute for the service.

As we were finalizing the matter, a lady came out and started shouting and hauling insult at me, threatening at the same time to call the police to arrest me. As I was leaving the hotel, policemen on a raid, arrested me.

However, during interrogation, Olakunmi was discovered to have been earlier arrested alongside three other suspects, with the recovery of a gun.

The suspects according to the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Elkana Bala, would be charged to court. (Vanguard)

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