A leopard can’t change its spots is one adage that applies to Raphael Sanni a former policeman. He would, however, not change from the ways that sent him away from the police force. Now, he is being interrogated by his former colleagues
Raphael Sanni was once a police officer attached to the Iyaganku headquarters of the Oyo State Command. He was shown the way out of the force in April 2011 when he was caught engaging in illegal activities far outside his base.
Then, Sanni, who was scheduled to be at the office, reportedly left his post and went to Ile-Ife, Osun State in company with some of his partners-in-crime, for what police authorities termed ‘illegal duty.’ Sadly, while leaving the police force, Sanni still held on to some official insignia especially his service identity card.
On many occasions, he had been accused of conducting illegal raids on motorists and traders claiming to be a policeman. That act had once landed him in court but he was later freed.
Upon his release from detention, Sanni, who immediately moved back to Ibadan, the Oyo State capital could only go back to his criminal acts. But this time, he had graduated from obtaining money forcefully from motorists to snatching commercial motorcycles (Okada) from their owners.
It was reported that Sanni and his partners-in-crime, after snatching the okada, would re-sell them to some people in the metropolis, albeit at a very low rate. Sanni met his waterloo recently when he planned to make away with an Okada he had already snatched from its owner.
On Wednesday, November 14, 2012, Sanni, together with a partner of his, now at large, allegedly snatched the motorbike belonging to one Jelilu Mumuni. Police source claimed that on that fateful day, Sanni and his partner flagged down Mumuni to take them to Agodi-Gate area of Ibadan. But Mumuni plies the Sango-Bodija route in the state capital. So he reportedly told the two men that he could not take them to their destination.
While trying to turn to go his way, Sanni reportedly retrieved his police identity card claiming that he is a policeman and was going to report for work. Seeing a police identity car, Mumuni agreed to take Sanni and his ‘friend’ to their destination. It was reported that Sanni sat at the back of the bike while his partner sat in the middle.
Just as they crossed the railway crossing at Bodija, Sanni, from where he sat, stealthily stretched his hand to remove the Okada rider’s cap from his head. Mumuni perhaps had thought that the cold breeze removed his cap from his head. The man pulled to a halt and wanted to make a U-turn to go pick his fallen cap.
But he was advised not to waste his fuel, but go to pick it while they (Sanni and his partner) would hold the Okada for him. Mumuni saw this as wise counsel. Without putting off the ignition of his Okada, he ran back to where the cap was.
But just as he bent to take his cap from the road, Sanni’s partner, sitting in the middle brought the Okada alive again and the two men made away with the motorcycle. But Mumuni would not let go of his Okada like that: he gave a hot chase to the fleeing thieves while shouting at the top of his voice.
Before long, Mumuni saw an Okada rider colleague of his, who he hurriedly waved down to join him in the chase for the thieves. The Okada rider obliged and the two of them ran after the fleeing thieves, but could not keep track of them. About two hours later, Mumuni and his colleague chose to return home when it became clear they could not trace the Okada and the thieves again.
On their way home, his friend, apparently, wanting to enliven his friend, urged him that they relax over a bottle of beer at a bar.
He reluctantly agreed and they settled for an open bar along the major road. Mumuni and his friend must have been completely stunned to see Sanni and his partner in crime right in front of them drinking. Same moment, Mumuni dashed towards Sanni hoping to get hold of his cloth, but the ex-cop was too smart for him. Sanni reportedly jumped out of his chair and his partnerin- crime followed him.
The thieves climbed Mumuni’s Okada parked about 20 yards away and again sped off. Like it happened earlier, Mumuni and his friend also climbed their own motorcycle and raced towards the direction the thieves went, also shouting at the top of their voices.
Mother luck however, smiled on Mumuni when the fleeing thieves rode to Sabo area where some Hausa men living there all trooped out to catch a glimpse of fleeing thieves. The Hausa men soon joined in the chase of the thieves and in no time, Sanni was arrested with the Okada, while his partner managed to escape.
Sanni was taken to Mokola Police Station from where he was transferred to the state SARS. Speaking on his experience, Mumuni said: “The drama started when the man (Sanni) flagged me down and showed me a police identity card and made me take them to where I did not want to go. The manner they ensured I got off the bike was even stunning.
The mistake I made was that I did not turn off the engine of the Okada before they rode it off.” In his confessional statement, Sanni, who agreed to the accusation against him said: “I truly stopped the Okada man. I told him to take me to Mokola. He refused, but I begged him that I would give him money. But when we were going, his cap fell off and as he went to take it, I ran away with the bike,” he said. On why he was sacked from the police, the Kogi State-born Sanni confessed that he was involved in illegal duties while in service.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Oyo State, Clement Adoda, who paraded the Sanni claimed that he would be arraigned upon completion of investigation. Adoda also assured residents of the state to expect a hitch-free Yuletide as the command is poised to battle criminals to a standstill.
National Mirror
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