I led N6.8m robbery on insider’s information –Welder

Hassan

A suspected armed robber, who had been on the wanted list for four years, has told the police that his gang acted on an insider’s information that led to a raid on a fuel station in Lagos.

 The suspect, Wahab Hassan, said his gang attacked De-Sholly Filling Station at Morogbo area, based on the information from the manager of the station.
During the attack on the station, the robbers shot the owner and went away with N6.8 million heist. Investigation showed that the manager told his brother, identified as Lucky Egoaho, to assist him to organise armed robbers to snatch his master’s money.
Egoaho then got in touch with Hassan and his gang. The police said that several suspects arrested for armed robbery and cultism in the Badagry axis had often mentioned Hassan.
He was said to be the leader of different gangs and had remained elusive until his arrest. The suspect was apprehended after some of his arrested gang members gave police information about his secret hideout.
A police source said: “Whenever the police have an encounter with his gang along the Badagry axis, his members would be arrested, while he would escape. He was like a spirit.”
According to the police, Hassan has a penchant for attacking fast food joints, business people heading to Benin Republic. His gang also enjoys robbing filling stations. Singing like a bird while in the net of the Special Anti- Robbery Squad (SARS), Ikeja, Lagos State, the 31-year-old welder said that he and his gang had carried out attacks at Okokomaiko, Ajamgbadi, Agbara, Morogbo and Badagry areas.
On February 23, Hassan’s eight-man gang attacked De- Sholly Filling Station at Morogbo. Hassan said: “The manager of the filling station gave us information about the large sum of money in the company. He said that his boss was about to take the money to the bank. I swiftly mobilised my members for the robbery attack which was successful. It was the manager’s brother, Lucky, who contacted me.”
The gang stormed the filling station with four locally-made pistols and four Bajaj motorcycles. The suspects converged on Agbara Motorcycle Park, posing as if they were passengers. It was at the motor park that Hassan stealthily distributed guns to his members. He and his gang members hid, while Lucky communicated to them the movement of the filling station owner as he headed to the bank. They shot him and seized the money he was taking to the bank. Hassan added: “I’m the third born of seven children.
We robbed De-Sholly Filling Station. I got N800,000 as my share. In fact, I was the one that shared the money. I used part of my share to rent a house on Ifo Road, along Cele bus stop in Ogun State.
The house was a room and parlour. I bought a motorcycle also. We have carried out six robbery operations. “We also operated after attending a function at Gateway Polytechnic in Ogun State.
Some of our friends invited us to the school matriculation. Our friends are cult members. I’m also a member of Eiye Confraternity. In ranking, I’m the fourth man in the cult group.
“When we were coming back, we entered a car wash in Ogun State and robbed them of N6,000 and one phone. I feel bad for taking part and leading a robbery gang. The cult I belong to led me into this mess.”