A suspected member of a ‘One Chance’ gang of robbers
said that he was arrested because he failed to heed his mother’s warning to
desist from crime.
The suspect, Ajibola Alao, 29, said that his mom
died shortly after warning him to desist from crime. He woman, he said, also
urged him as the first child, to ensure he cares for his siblings.
According to him, although he wanted to heed his
follow advice on crime, but he knew no other way to care for his siblings,
other than crime.
His words: “At a time, I was arrested and detained
at Mushin Olosa Police Station. My mum, who was very ill and on admission in a
hospital, was brought to see me in a chartered car. She pleaded with the officers
and secured my bail. She warned me never to take other people’s ‘sweat.’ She
said that if I had been using other peoples’ sweat to foot her hospital bills,
I should stop. She further said that if I wanted to live long, I should stop
stealing. She said that the consequences would be too severe for me if I go
back again. A few weeks later, she died.”
The suspect continued: “I did it then because I
needed N140, 000 to pay my house rent. At this time, I got more than that from
a week operation, but I didn’t stop then. I went back into it to help raise
funds for my siblings so that they won't toe the same path of crime. I’m the
first child and breadwinner of the family. Since the death of my mother, I have
been taking care of my brothers. That was my promise to my mum before she
died.”
Alao was arrested on Thursday by operatives of the
Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Ikeja, Lagos State Police Command.
He was arrested after he and his gang members
dispossessed Asotie Benedict, 24, a lone passenger in their bus of his two
phones and N61, 000.
Alao, in company of the driver and conductor of
their operational bus, a Volkswagen Transporter, with the registration number,
APP 820 XE, picked Benedict at Ladipo area and were supposed to drop him at
Oshodi under Bridge.
A police source said: “The gang sighted some LASTMA
officials at Oshodi bus stop and pretended they were ascending the bridge
towards Oshodi Oke. It was at this point they dispossessed Asotie of his two
mobile phones, Blackberry Passport and Samsung. They also collected his wallet,
which contained N60, 000, before forcing him to alight while the vehicle was in
motion.”
Recalling the event, Asotie said: “After throwing me
off the bus, they my N100 fare at me. Perhaps, for me to find my way back home.
I didn’t give up, I chased the bus. Fortunately, I sighted RRS vehicle,
Response 091 and I quickly alerted them. They chased the vehicle to a halt.
They arrested Alao, who had taken all I had on me. The driver and the conductor
abandoned their vehicle and escaped. All they took from me were found on him
and some additional phones, which he disclosed to the police, belonged to other
victims.”
Alaom said that he had been in the business of one
chance since 2015. He said: “At a point,
I stopped and began pickpocketing, joining buses to Sango, Agege, Oshodi, Apapa
and disembarking whenever I have fleeced commuters of their phones and money.”
He noted that most of his colleagues, who were in
the same business, were arrested last year by RRS. Others, he said, relocated.
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