Gang that sucks fuel from parked cars arrested

Operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Lagos State Police Command, have arrested some suspects who used to steal fuel from parked cars.

The suspects are Daniel Dali, 19, Emmanuel Ashaolu, 17 and Ikenna Bright, 17.
According to the police, the youngsters are connected to different crimes. They allegedly used to snatch handbags, snatch motorbikes and commit other crimes.
They were arrested after they snatched a handbag from a lady. They were expecting to find money in the bag, but found ‘fufu and stew.’
The screams of the lady alerted police. They were arrested on Friday around 10:48pm, in Ajegunle by RRS men who were on patrol of the area. The teenagers, now in police custody, are singing like birds.
Bright said: “During fuel crisis, we used to suck fuel from vehicles parked on the streets. Several boys do this business in Ajegunle. I know of a team, living in different hotels in Ajegunle; they sleep in day time and operate at night. This is the only job they do to survive.”
Dali, a commercial bike rider, from Cotonu and Ashaolu, snatched a hand bag from the lady, unaware the bag didn’t contain money.
A police source said: “The victim shouted for help, this prompted the RRS team to pursue the two of them who on motorbike. We arrested Ashaolu, while Dali escaped. The RRS team mobilized and went in the night to comb the area, leading to the arrest of Dali and Bright. At the suspects’ apartment, two other roommates were also arrested but later released after cross examination by the RRS officials.”
Dali on interrogation allegedly stated that he was the cyclist of the syndicate. He said that he started the business of motorbike snatching in April 2015 after the death of his mother.
He further said: "My mother’s death forced me into robbery. My mother gave me everything. If I needed anything, I go to her and she would provide it. She even did this for me when I was working. After her death, I had no helper. There was nobody to turn to again. My father lives in the village in Cotonu, but I didn’t want to go back there."
Dali said that he almost died once when he went for operation and was mobbed. He said that he left to die by the angry mob at Ago-Hausa, in Ajegunle. He woke up the following day to discover he was still alive. But even after that harrowing experience, he continued in partaking in different crimes.
Dali said: “Bright and I have been to four operations. In one of our outings, we snatched a recharge card worth N35, 000.00. He sold it and gave me only N5000:00. There are occasional instances when we get nothing from operations, but we’ve never operated with guns. We snatch bags, phones and other belongings and escape in our motorbike.”
According to Dali, the gang used to operate around Boundary, Mile 2, New Roundabout and Wilma.