A suspected armed robber, Tunde Raphael, 24, has revealed
how he and other 19 gang members attacked and robbed Lagos citizens at Mile 2
Bridge traffic.
Most of the victims of the gang are said to be motorists and
commuters plying Mile 2 route. Raphael was arrested in Mile 2 traffic at past
5:00a.m. He was arrested by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (SARS).
He was arrested along with Samuel Kolawole (23) and Solomon
Omini (32) on Wednesday after a hot chase by RRS operatives.
Raphael said: “My only job is to rob motorists and commuters
of their belongings. I used to operate between 4:00 a.m. and 6:30 a.m.”
He further disclosed: “We used to be
about 20 members during operations. We would then go in pair or three, armed
with toy guns, machetes, Jack knives, hammers, rods and other weapons, which we
used in scaring and threatening people in order to dispossess them of phones,
money, jewelry, laptops and other valuables.
“It's a job I have been doing now
for more than a year. As soon as we approached a car, we tell the occupants to
bring out their belongings. Some would cooperate and give us their phones and
money. Some would wind up. I laugh at them because we would break that glass or
use our prepared mixture. When we threw the mixture at their side glasses, it
would bring them down gently and we would take all that we want and leave the
place.
“We do this every day. We know when
to come and when not to. We work with the nature of traffic. We target
passersby too. Those going to work or traders going to market are our main
target. If you are old on the job, you get good targets. I sold the phones I
collect for between N3, 000 to N4, 000 daily.”
He explained further:
"Recently, we collected a lot of money from three occupants of a vehicle.
I don't know the precise amount. We were two; my colleague tried to abscond
with the money, but I tried tracking him. Unfortunately for me, he noticed me
and eventually inflicted machete cuts on my head. I lost so much blood, that I
lost consciousness. The cut was so severe that three hospitals rejected me. I
still see this guy and he is still in this business with me."
Raphael stated that he lost his mum
at an early age and later assisted in selling Indian hemp at Mile 2 before he
was introduced into traffic robbery.
He maintained that those who lured
him into it told him that he would make a lot of money in traffic robbery, than
selling Indian hemp.
Drama however ensued during the
interrogation of the suspects in RRS headquarter in Alausa when a phone, Nokia
Touch, allegedly owned by one of the suspects, Samuel Kolawole, started ringing
repeatedly.
Police detectives quizzing the
suspect put the phone on speaker only for the caller later identified as Robert
to claim the ownership of the phone, stressing that the phone was collected
from him in Mile 2 by armed robbers.
Kolawole who had earlier claimed
ownership of the phone in his statement said he bought the phone from a
colleague of his with SIM card that morning for N1500.
The phone was later handed over to
Mr Robert who reported at RRS office after calling.
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