Operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad(SARS),
Ikeja, Lagos State have arrested a gun runner, who used to bring illegal weapons into Nigeria by
concealing them between stakes of traditional medicine herbs.
The suspect, Sunday Samuel, described himself as a
businessman. According to the police, Samuel is not just a gun runner, but also
receiver of stolen vehicles. Once he gets the guns into Nigeria, he would
recuit youngmen whom he gives the guns to go and rob.
The gang members confessed that they target women
who drive because, “ It’s easy to snatch cars from women.”
Samuel used to go to the Republic of Benin to buy
the guns and bring them into Nigeria. In order to evade eagle eyed security
agents at the border, he conceals the guns between stakes of herbs. He also
allegedly used to hide cartridges for the guns inside the door pad of his car.
A police source said that Samuel described the herbs
as, ‘Ghana herbs,’ adding that they are used to prepare medicine for people
suffering from different ailments.
A police source said: “He’ll hide the guns inside
the sticks of herbs, which he ties together with a twine. The guns are always
placed in the middle of the sticks, with the sticks of herb surrounding them,
to conceal them from security agents at the border. He also used to hide
cartridges inside the door of his car.”
It was also learned that Samuel instructed his boys,
to ensure they focused on snatching exotic vehicles.
“Once the robbers bring the vehicles to him, he
would take them to Cotonou. He would refurbished and sell them at Cotonou. He
has been doing this business now for over three years,” said a police source.
Samuel’s journey to SARS started after the arrest of
two of the robbers working for him. The arrested men have been identified as
Owolabi Olaniyi a.k.a Owo-blow and Islamailer Olukayode alias Asmail.
The duo were arrested based on a tip-off from a
police informant. Singing like a bird, the suspects told police how Samuel used
to give them guns to snatch vehicles for him.
One of the robbers reportedly said: “Once we snatch
the cars, we go through Ilaro, Ogun State, to meet Samuel. He would be waiting
for us at an agreed venue, to collect the vehicles. Right at that place, he
would collect the vehicles and hand them over to men we’ve never seen before
that day. The men would go away with vehicles. Right there also, Samuel would
give us cheques for payment of the vehicles. We go to bank to cash the money.”
Investigators discovered that the gang sells neat
cars, depending on the make, for atleast N500,000, N400,000 or N450,000.
The gang said it preferred to operate on wee hours
of Sundays and Mondays.
According to them, on those days, “Police don’t use
to flag us down because we drive in a very civilised manner. In a way that will
not arose police suspicion.”
Olukayode was the first person to be arrested before
Olaniyi.
Attempting to use the duo to catch the kingpin, the
police instructed them to call Samuel.
Samuel said he was in Ocean Blue Night Club, Allen
Avenue, Ikeja. He asked them to meet him there.
The men told Samuel that they could not get into the
club because they didn’t have money to pay for gate pass. Samuel sent one of
his men to bring Olukayode and Olaniyi inside.
The messenger was promptly arrested. He took the
policemen to Samuel. “Samuel was found, nesting between two beautiful ladies.
Police quitely took him out,” said a police source.
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