I have met Jesus, says suspects arrested for using sleek car to rob

Operatives of the Inspector-General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team (IRT) have arrested two suspected armed robbers, who specialized in attacking unsuspecting Nigerians along the Oshodi-International Airport Road.

The suspects, John Odudu, 28, from Delta State and Paul Goddey, 29, from Akwa Ibom State, were arrested for dispossessing people of their phones, money and other valuable things. After robbing the victims, the gang members would ruthlessly pushed them out of their Toyota Camry.

Our correspondent gathered that the suspects were arrested on March 24^th, after one of their victims, whom they robbed and pushed out of their car, got hold of one of their phones.

It was gathered that just as the gang members pushed the victim of their car and zoomed off, they didn’t know that one of their mobile phones fell out of the car along with the victim. The victim dusted his clothes and made a beeline for IRT’s office with the phone.

A police source said: “The victim had to start running when the car suddenly stopped and tried to return to where they dropped him, to retrieve the phone. The victim disappeared with the phone and it was through the phone they the suspects were tracked and arrested. They called their victim later, saying they were students of the Lagos State University, (LASU), that he should return the phone to them. They also promised to give him back what they robbed from him. The phone number they used in calling the victim, showed ‘Goddey’ and police were able to arrest Goddey. He was used as bait to catch his partner called Dodo.”

Revealing their modus operandi, the police source said: “The gang used to go on five trips per day along that route, looking for victims. They usually drive from Magoro area, to airport for their operations. One of them, Afam, is the one that used to sell the stolen phones at Computer village, Ikeja. The gang has connection with some soldiers. Preliminary investigations showed that the soldiers, while in uniform, go with the gang for operations. It’s a five-man gang; the members are Akpan, Sesan, Matthew, Afam and Akaria.”

Odudu said that on February this year, he met Paul at a joint in Oshodi where people used to smoke Indian hemp.

Odudu said: “A friend introduced me to Paul and we started talking about ways to make money. Later, he discovered that I was a driver. He told me about the business. On March, we started operations. It was not up to three months that we started this operation we were arrested by the police. Sometimes, we shared N2000 after a day operation. I have not made up to N50, 000 ever since we started the operations. I’m now regretting what I had done. Since my detention in police cell, I have met Jesus.”

Odudu further said: “We do operate twice in a week. We used to move around the area five times a day. Even at the five times movement; we might only get two or three victims. We don’t just pick anybody we see on the road. We look at person and know his worth before pick the person. Sometimes, we also move throughout the night without getting anybody. We only operate along Oshodi- to Airport road.”

Odudu said that he joined the gang because of some problems, which included losing his apartment at Akute, where he resides.

Odudu explained: “My landlord was about to throw me, my wife and two kids out of the apartment because of rent. I had not paid the rent. I thought I would be able to make some money to pay the rent through robbery operations. I never knew it would end this way. It was Afam that gave us gun; Afam is Paul’s friend. We usually operated between 10pm to 12am. The gun we are using for the operations is not working. We just use it to threaten victims to corporate with us.”

Odudu explained that his role in the gang was to drive their operational vehicle. He said that the car belonged to Mathew. He disclosed that Mathew had since disappeared after he heard that some of the gang members had been arrested.

He explained: “During operation, we used to pick only one victim. Our members used to pose as passengers in the car. One person will sit at the front car, while two people will be at the back. Immediately someone wants to enter the car, one person will alight from the car, so the victim will enter the middle of my members. Along the airport road, our members at the back will point gun at the victim’s neck. The victim will be searched and all his or her valuables collected. We don’t push people out of our car while in motion. When we finished work, we stop for the person to come down from the vehicle.”

While narrating his escapades, Odudu broke down and started crying.

He said: “My wife is not aware of what I was doing until the day police arrested me. I’m actually a professional craftsman. I make chairs and have a shop at Maryland under bridge. After close of my shop every day, I go to join Paul and other gang members for operations. Sometimes, I don’t go home. I would tell my wife that I have much work to do in the shop. It was the day, I was arrested that I told her everything. She was shocked.  I know that my wife is very disappointed and my kids too. I pray that God should have mercy on me.”

Goddey said that Afam, his friend introduced him into robbery.  Goddey said: “I’m a furniture maker. I don’t have money to rent shop.  I thought that I could quickly raise some money and pumped into my business.”

Speaking on the gang’s operation, Goddey said: “Sometimes, I sit at the front of the car as a passenger, while two members sit at the back. Other days, I may sit at the back of the car. It is not up to three months we started the operations, that we were arrested. We have not really made good money from the business. I met Afam at Oshodi rail line where I go to smoke Indian hemp. It’s not every operation that we make enough money to share. Sometimes, we make just N20, 000, after selling some of the phones, wrist watches, jewelries and other things. After sharing sometimes, we each get like N3000 or N4000. When we steal phones, Afam takes them to computer village to sell. I never liked what we were doing, but because of lack of money and also because there was nothing else I could to get money to rent shop for my furniture making business, I took to crime.”