‘I joined robbery after reading book on bullet-proof charms’

Operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Ikeja, Lagos State Police Command have arrested a robbery suspect who said he decided to join robbery after reading his grandfather’s book on how to prepare bullet-proof charms.

The suspect, Sodiq Dosumu, 21, an Aluminum apprentice said that he started secretly reading the book on charm while he was 18 and still in secondary school.  

According to the police, Dosumu belonged to a six-man-gang of robbers. The gang allegedly had been terrorizing Magodo area of Lagos.

Dosumi and his accomplices, Ibikule Samson 23 and Adeboye Moses 20, were arrested on December 16, 2014. A locally made pistol and charms were recovered from them.

A police source said: “The gang was arrested a complaint reported that her bag and phones were snatched by robbers on motorbike. We started tracking her phone. An investigation of the gang revealed that they used to snatch phones and handbags. They would later sell the phones. A policeman had to go undercover to become friendly with one of them named Samson. The policeman told Samson that he had a lot of phones he wanted to sell. This caught the interest of Samson. When he came to meet the policeman, he was arrested. The phone of the complainant was recovered from Samson. It was through the confessions of Samson that we were able to catch two others. We’re still hunting for three other members of the gang, including the leader.”

Detectives are theorising that Dosumi started nursing the ambition to become a robber while he was still in secondary school.

But the suspect denied this, insisting that he made up his as he was doing his Aluminum apprenticeship, after he realized that there would be no money for his graduation.

According to Dosumu, the book on charms belonged to his late grandfather who was a native doctor.

Dosumi said: “My grandfather didn’t know that I used to read the book whenever I visited him. The book is full of how to make charms for protection from any weapon. I decided to follow the instructions and made one for myself. I used to tie the charm round my waist whenever I was going for robbery operation.”

Dosumu said that his close buddy, Abeh initiated him into robbery. They started their friendship right from secondary school.

Dosumu said: “I started robbing in 2014 because of what I learned from the book. The book encouraged and emboldened me to join robbery. But I also needed money for graduation ceremony.”

Dosumu, who said his parents are separated, added: “I was the one that brought Samson and Moses into the gang. I’ve gone on four robbery operations. We usually target phones, handbags and other valuables.’

Samson, a commercial cyclist, said: “I usually collect N1, 000 from the gang for taking them to operations. I work as motorbike rider at day time and assist the gang in the night.”

Moses, another motorbike rider said: “I and Samson usually take the gang members to wherever they want to operate.”