‘I STARTED ARMED ROBBERY AFTER OGBONI CONFRATERNITY FAILED ME IN MY BID TO MAKE MONEY’

From:	<eCruzi>

Have you ever been hit from the rear by a motorcycle while driving?If yes, never attempt to alight to check the damages done on your vehicle, or exchange words with the erring motorcyclist, particularly if the rider is not alone. This is because you could fall prey to robbers who have devised such method to snatch vehicles from unsuspecting motorists.

This admonition is coming on the heels of the arrest of four suspected members of a robbery gang who specialised in snatching vehicles from their owners at gunpoint, by operatives of the Ogun State Command Special Anti Robbery Squad, using such method.

One significant trait about this robbery gang is its penchant for posh cars, preferably Toyota Camry cars and jeeps. Its members who reside in Ogun state, as gathered, travel to other states in the south west region to operate and thereafter, sell the stolen cars at giveaway prices to ready buyers in Lagos state.

Crime Guard gathered that the armed gang stormed Agbara area of Ogun state last month,where they blocked their victim who slowed down on reaching a bad spot,with their operational motorcycle. They thereafter, ordered the fear stricken motorist to get down from the vehicle , pointing a gun at him and thereafter zoomed off with the Toyota Camry car .  Barely had they driven off than the vehicle reportedly stopped. While they were contemplating on the next move, a team of policemen reportedly stormed on them.

Three of them were said to have fled into the bush, leaving their partner in crime, Olalekan at the mercy of the policemen. Olalekan's confessional statement reportedly led to the arrest of other members of the gang, including a popular car dealer who resides in Ejigbo area of Lagos, who was alleged to be one of the gang's receivers.

It was gathered that   several vehicles suspected to have been stolen by the gang were recovered from the receiver's showroom in Lagos. Another car dealer identified as 'Major', who was also indicted by the suspects , is currently at large. Also, some stolen vehicles were reportedly recovered in his showroom at Abule-Egba area of Lagos.

Preliminary investigation as gathered, revealed that three members of the gang were arrested in January 2014, by policemen attached to the Lagos State Police Command, over a similar case and were charged to court, from where they were granted bail.

The suspects identified as Isiaka Olalekan, Kazeem Abiodun, Rafiu Ojolowo and Ife , however,blamed their indulgence on unemployment. One of them, 24 year-old Abiodun, a Nigeria Certificate in Education ,NCE holder, told Crime Guard that he had to join the ogboni confraternity in his frantic search for money but never had his desire met .

I started with snatching female bags

In this interview with Crime Guard the suspects revealed their respective roles,with 25 -year-old Kazeem Abiodun who hails from Otto -Awori , Ojo Lagos, saying: " I am an NCE holder from Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education , Ijanikin, Lagos. I graduated in year 2011. I had several jobs but made no headway. I had to join Ogboni confraternity out of frustration. Yet, I did not make any headway.

I started with snatching handbags at bus-stops, from where I met Rafiu Ojolowo. Our major place of operation was Agabra bus-stop. We were into that until we met Isiaka who introduced us to real robbery where we used arms. I was given a pistol while Rafiu rode the okada".

I graduated from yahoo to robbery -Isiaka

"I am a secondary school drop -out. I have tried my hands on many menial jobs without being able to feed myself. Several times, my family have suggested I got married. But no woman wanted to marry me because I have no money. I learnt tiling but could not get money to start a business of my own. I ventured into internet fraud . But because I am not educated, I could not make anything reasonable out of it.

Along the line, I met Ife who introduced me into robbery . I learnt how to snatch cars from where they were parked , using a metal key. Our choice car then was Toyota Camry because it is easy and faster to sell.

Anytime we succeeded in moving the vehicles from where they were packed, my job would be to drive them down to Lagos , from where we would hand them over to Major , our receiver. We were initially taking it to Alhaji Balogun who has a showroom ,before we switched to 'Major' who paid higher. For every car I took to Major, I got N10,000 to N50,000, depending on the model.

I was arrested January this year by SARS Lagos,alongside Isiaka, Ife and Bakare, over a stolen Toyota Camry car. I met one Solomon in the cell who gave me Kazeem Abiodun's contact. Immediately I was released , I went in search of Abiodun in Agabara, from where we formed a gang of three. We initiated Rafiu Olowo, a tailor, who drove our operational motorcycle. I graduated from being the driver to the gang's hit man ,while Ojolowo volunteered his motorcycle.

How we were arrested

All was going on well until July 19, 2014. Three of us rode on the motorcycle. When we saw a man with a Toyota Camry coming, we hit him from behind when he slowed down on reaching a bad spot. He alighted and started speaking grammar. Before he knew it, I hit him with the butt of my gun and asked him to lie down . I jumped into the car with Afeez and sped off, while Ojolowo left with the motorcycle.

We immediately put a call across to Alhaji Balogun who lives in Ejigbo area of Isolo. But on the way, the vehicle suddenly stopped and before we knew it, we were rounded up by the police", said the 24 year-old suspect. .

However, the fourth suspect, Afeez Bakare, claimed he never partook in the robbery. He disclosed rather that other members of the gang mentioned his name to avenge him of a previous offence.

According to the Ogun state suspect, "I have never joined them in any operation. One of them, Ife , only called to inform me that he had a RAV4 Toyota Jeep to sell. I never knew he stole it. He told me it was his and wanted to sell it because he had no money. All I did was to get him a buyer , one, Major, based at Abule-Egba, Lagos. I took them in the vehicle to 'Major' house in Sango and he bought the vehicle for N270,000. I was only given N10,000 .

But two months later I discovered they went behind me to sell another vehicle to Major for N750,000,without my knowledge. I was angry and decided to set them up by reporting to the Police, thereby leading to their arrest . That was a long time ago. I have not set my eyes on them . They only implicated me to revenge" said the 32-year-old suspect.

The suspects according to the Ogun State police Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, would be charged to court soon, adding that policemen were on the trail of other fleeing members of the gang.

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{ VERDANT STORIES SECTION...FORBIDDEN >>>>> Garba was the only one of his father's twelve sons who agreed to get an education in his town. His mum was the last of 4 wives and so encouraged him to go and learn the white man's way. "I have heard that when you go to that school in the town, you will never have to work in the farm or roam about with cattle. You will grow wise and work in the white man's place," his mother had said. His father had been skeptic and suspicious of the Whiteman. The Whiteman had come to Dogongari, Garba's village and had taken residence there. And because Garba's father, Dandogo was the village head. the Whiteman became his friend. Once, the Whiteman had given him some coloured water from a bottle to drink. He had observed the Whiteman drinking it and when the Whiteman had offered him, he drank. It tasted sharp yet inviting. He was soon enjoying it and before long, he had begun to talk too much and laughing. His chiefs had been alarmed. Dandogo was even telling the Whiteman how he intended to• many a fifth wife. His chiefs were surprised. No man spoke about such things in public. They suspected that the Whiteman had put something in the drink. What kind of a golden-coloured drink was it anyway? When Dandogo got up, he staggered and almost fell had his chiefs not held him. Then he began to talk all sorts ofrubbish, his eyes rolled up. They took him home. They put him in bed and his wives waited upon him. He slept for long and only woke up at noon. Later when his subjects told him what had happened, he refused to accept. He could not recall ever saying anything or how he got home. But of course he remembered he had been drinking with the Whiteman. Then he reasoned that the Whiteman must have given him something bad to drink that he had lost his senses. When the Whiteman was asked what it was he gave the head-chief, he said it was just rum. Ever since, Dandogo had been wary of him and his agents. Now, the same man had told him of his school in town and said Dandogo should bring some of his children to the school. At first he had refused, suspecting that the Whiteman wanted to kidnap them. "If he runs away with our children, where do we know he came from that we will go and look for him?" Dandogo said to his chiefs. But the Whiteman was persistent, telling him of the benefits. Still Dandogo would not accept. Instead, he nominated other people's children and hid his own. The children that went to town to the Whiteman's school came to the village three times a year and they had begun to understand the Whiteman's language and were able to write like the Whiteman on chalk slates. They were different from the other children. "Well, he has not kidnapped the children but only made them be like him," Dandogo said one day when the Whiteman came to urge him to bring his children to the school. Now, based on what he had told his children about the Whiteman's trick to kidnap them, none of his children wanted to go to the school. But Garba who was only seven years had his mother to encourage him. And that was how Garba got the chance to go to school. "Now listen, Garba," his father said. "When you go to the Whiteman's school, be careful, don't drink any coloured water because it will make you forget yourself, don't do the Whiteman's religion and don't let him deceive you." "Yes, father," Garba said. His mother put a hand on his head. "Always be a good boy. Never ever fight, learn the Whiteman's way very well. It is an easy way to be rich without hard work," she said. The news had gone round Dogongari that one of Dandogo, the village head's sons was going to the Whiteman's school. "Your son could be a doctor, a lawyer, a government official, an engineer or anything he's good at as he grows," the Whiteman said to Dandogo on the day the school children were to depart the village. Dandogo did not know what the Whiteman meant. "Just don't deceive my son and don't make him do your religion,- Dandogo said through the interpreter as usual. Garba was dressed in a white shirt and brown Khaki shorts that the Whiteman had given to him that early morning. He looked smart in it. His mother was crying that he was leaving. The Whiteman took the children in a rickety mammy wagon and drove down the rough road out of Dogongari. The other children ran after the wagon until it was gone.