A phone dealer, Yusuph Da-Silva, 28,
has confessed to buying at least 120 stolen phones every month from suspected
robbers, cultists and pick-pockets operating in Lagos and Ogun states.
According to him, he makes between N25,000
and N30,000 daily from buying and selling robbed phones.
The suspect was arrested after a
three month hunt by the Decoy Team of the Lagos State Rapid Response Squad
(RRS), Ikeja.
Da-Silva became a person of interest
to the RRS operatives following a robbery incident that occurred at around
Ifako-Ijaiye, where mobile phones, laptops and other valuables were carted away
at gun point.
The suspect, while fielding
questions from RRS operatives, said that every week, he buys over 30 stolen
phones. This means that in a month, he buys at least over 120 phones.
Da-Silva, popularly called ‘Da-Gold’
in Computer Village, Ikeja and Ifako Ijaiye, had been on the run after police
began a crackdown on the robbery gangs supplying him mobile phones.
The suspect also confessed to have
maintained links with three-armed robbery gangs who constantly supplied him
with stolen phones and other valuables after their operations.
The first gang to be arrested
consists of Abiodun Tajudeen, a.k.a Shalori, Drey, and Moshood Akinwande, a.k.a
Orobo, who robbed with a motorcycle.
The second gang was known as AY and
his cohorts. The third gang was led by 'Idaso' and his boys. These gangs
allegedly specialised in robbing people at gun point around Fagba, Iju Ishaga,
Oke Aro and Ifako areas.
He sold the phones in Computer
Village Ikeja and shipped some to Kwara, Osun and Oyo states to make tracking
of the stolen phones difficult for security operatives.
Tajudeen and Akinwande confessed to
have sold some phones and other valuables to Da-Silva early this year which was
the cause of his present arrest.
A police source said: “Investigations
revealed that both Tajudeen and Akinwande are presently in police custody over
different robbery cases. Da-Gold stays in Fagba Railway Line where he bought
the robbed mobile phones before ferrying them to Computer Village, Ikeja, to
sell to retailers waiting for him. Many of the retailers preferred to meet him
first so that they could buy some of the best phones from him. Da-Gold is
dreaded in Fagba, making it difficult for community members to co-operate with
the police.”
In his confessional statement, Da-Silva
said: “Police crack team in Magbon arrested AY’s gang, who linked me as the
receiver of all their stolen phones and I was arrested. The Police later
recovered about seven smart phones from me. After the Magbon arrest, I resulted
to wearing hoodie sweatshirts, which I use to disguise to avoid security agents
from identifying me as policemen turned their search light on me. I have
different colours and designs of the hoodie sweatshirt and I often avoid some
areas to avoid getting arrested while I continue my business.”
The suspect further said: “I deal in
smart phones. I have been a phone technician in Computer Village, Ikeja, since
2012. When I realised that it wasn’t yielding enough money, I developed links
with network of boys on the streets that gave me steady supply of phones. I
wipe or flash them before selling them. I don’t collect their SIMS. They
bring them to me daily. I get up to six or seven smart phones from them on
daily basis and I sell to my customers in Computer Village. The sales from
those phones fetched me between N25,000 to N30,000 daily. I don’t bother to ask
them about how they got the phones because they have told me they were gotten
through ‘Stop and Search,’ meaning they robbed their owners to get. I’m not a
robber. Face to face, they would confirm to you. I bought the phones from them.
I have never followed them to rob. What I do before is internet fraud before I
started buying stolen phones from these guys.”
The suspect, according to sources in
Ifako-Ijaiye had remained evasive since he was arrested by the police in Ogun State.
The sources added that Da-Silva has strings of criminals he was well connected
to in Orile-Iju, where his family house is located.
The source said: “His business in
that area escalated robbery and cultism around Ifako-Ijaiye because he created
a ready market for their loot. He is their Godfather.”
It was also disclosed that the
suspect relocated to Ijoko, Ogun State when he realised police were on his
trail. He used to sneak into Lagos in hooded sweater to avoid being
detected.
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