The Anti-Robbery Squad of the State
Criminal Investigation and Intelligence
Department, Yaba, has arrested a four-man
gang that had allegedly been terrorising
residents of the Ikorodu area of Lagos
State.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the suspects –
Akin Ayotunde, Isaac Ogbonna, Sola Dede
and Sodiq Lawal – specialised in lurking
around houses at night and switching off
their victims’ generators before attacking
them.
They, however, met their Waterloo last
Thursday when they were arrested after
invading the apartment of one Bello
Hakeem in the Igbe area.
Our correspondent was told that the
suspects spent six hours in the victim’s
duplex and went away with his car,
generator, money, phones, Automated
Teller Machine cards, modems, laptops
and cash.
They also stole his wife’s jewellery and
withdrew N100,000 using one of the ATM
cards.
Hakeem told our correspondent that
around 11.09pm on Tuesday, he observed
that his generator suddenly went off and
he asked two of his children to go outside
and fix the problem.
“About five minutes after they left, they
were forced back into the house by four
men, who were armed with knives.
“They ordered us to cooperate with them.
They searched the house and made away
with three laptops, six phones, three ATM
cards, a new 3.5KVA generator, one
75alms battery, two modems, jewellery,
cash, and my Toyota Corolla. They held my
family hostage for six hours before leaving
at about 6am the next day,” he added.
Hakeem, an environmental scientist, said
he reported the incident at the Ijede Police
Station, adding that the suspects were able
to withdraw N100,000 from his First Bank
account before he deactivated all the
stolen ATM cards.
He said two days after the incident, a
friend called him that a car that looked like
his own had been put up for sale.
He said operatives from the SCIID, Yaba,
were alerted and the suspects were
rounded up.
The four suspects, who confessed to the
crime, said they operated with knives to
avoid bloodshed.
The gang leader, Ayotunde, 27, said, “I
used to sell garri with my grandma in a
market before a former Governor of Lagos
State, Babatunde Fashola, demolished
shops in the market. I tried another job,
but it didn’t work.
“I then sold the idea of robbing houses to
my friends and we agreed to use only
knives and not guns. We always lurk
around developing areas in Ikorodu at
night, look for any house that had its
generator on, scale the fence and put off
the generator. When the occupants of the
house come out to check the generator,
we attack. We made N60,000 from our
first operation in March.
“I was arrested when the man whom I had
given the man’s car to called me that he
had found a buyer. He said the buyer had
paid N700,000 for the vehicle and that I
should come for my share. We agreed to
meet at a restaurant in Ojota. But on
getting there, I discovered that it was a set
up and I was arrested.”
Ogbonna, 23, an indigene of Ebonyi State,
said he was looking for money for the
treatment of his elder sister when he was
invited to join the gang.
“My sister needed blood transfusion and I
had to look for money by all means. I got
N25,000 from the operation,” he added.
The third suspect, 24-year-old Dede, from
Ondo State, said he joined the group
because he was told nobody would be
killed, adding that he needed money to
change his apartment.
He said, “An Alfa told me to move out of
my family house because there was a
spiritual force working against the success
of men in the house. I needed money to
change my apartment.”
The police also arrested the receiver of
some of the stolen items, Akeem Lawal,
who claimed that the suspects lied to him
that the goods were imported.
The Police Public Relations officer, SP
Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the arrest,
adding that investigations were ongoing.
She said, “The last house they robbed
belonged to a couple who quickly alerted
the police. They were trailed and arrested.
They are currently undergoing interrogation
at the command.”
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