We get our victims on social media, says South Africa returnee

Juliana Francis

Less than a month after some Nigerians based in South Africa returned, following the massive xenophobic attack on them, one of them has been arrested for robbery.

The suspect, Victor Remi (27), confessed to have robbed a laptop dealer, after checking him out on his twitter handle.

Remi, who claimed to be a Forex trader and his partner in crime, Ekeh Maxwell, 23, a musician, were arrested on Monday, weeks after the robbery by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Ikeja, Lagos State Police Command. Remi, after pulling off the operation, also cheated his partner.

Remi recounted: “I told the dealer I was the Managing Director of a new company in Acme Road, Ikeja. I also told him that my daughter recommended him and that his laptops were legit. I ordered one for myself and another for my secretary. It took us a week to initiate, perfect our plan and execute it. My colleague, Maxwell, borrowed his brother’s Camry car, FKJ 833 EZ, for the operation. We bought a toy gun and painted it. I controlled the dealer to Acme Crescent because we knew the location was a desolate area. While Maxwell drove, I  WhatsApp the dealer and instructed him to bring the consignment to my office. I told him that my driver would pick him up at Acme Crescent. We met him there. He entered the vehicle while the driver picked me up some few meters from where he entered. The dealer sat at the front with the laptops. I placed the gun on his neck and ordered him to surrender them. We wanted to take his phone too, but he pleaded with us not to strip of everything. We told him to alight from the car. We escaped.”

The police said: “The suspects both disclosed that they got all the details of their victim through his twitter handle. According to them, they opened up conversation with the dealer immediately and placed an order for two Apple Laptops, MacBook Pro-2018 edition.”

It was gathered that Remi told Maxwell that the laptops were two, instead of three. It was also discovered that Remi lied to his partner that he sold each of the two laptops, N250, 000.

However, investigation showed that he sold each for N500, 000:00, which is their actual market value. Remi gave Maxwell N250, 000:00 and kept the rest of the money.

The victim, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “One Uche ordered for three Apple laptops. We communicated on WhatsApp. I never had inkling that they were robbers. They used a gun and knife to dispossess me of the laptops. The three laptops are worth N1.5 million.”

The laptops have so far been recovered from their buyers while the suspects claimed to have trashed the toy gun immediately after the operation.

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Zubairu Muazu, advised Lagosians to moderate the amount of information they expose through social media. He added that criminal minded elements were exploiting social media to perpetrate crime. He restated the commitment of the Command to remain unrelenting in the pursuit of criminals in the state.