Two robbery
suspects, Gbemi Ogunleye, 45 and Ini Effiong, 32, have been arrested for
frequenting breaking into people’s homes and boutiques in Lagos and Ogun
states, to steal shoes, which they sell at night markets.
Ogunleye, who
sells fairly used clothes at Ijora and Effiong, who hawks snacks at Oshodi,
were arrested in the early hours of Wednesday after an all-night robbery at the
resident of a cleric in Ibafo, Ogun State. They were arrested by operatives of
the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Ikeja, Lagos State Police Command at Oshodi
after a successful operation.
The police alleged
that the suspects specialised in breaking into homes and boutiques to cart away
clothes, phones and electronics. The suspects during the day sell the stolen electronic,
shoes and phones as well as clothes before returning to their respective
businesses in Ijora and Oshodi, Lagos.
Ogunleye said:
“I sell clothes and shoes taken from our victims at night. We target boutiques
and usually survey the environment days before breaking into them.”
Effiong in
his confession disclosed that although he hawks snacks in traffic, he often teams
up with Ogunleye to rob at night.
He further
stated: “I also rob at night in traffic. I have snatched many mobile phones in
traffic in Oshodi Oke, Bolade and PWD while hawking snacks.”
The two
suspects, who couldn’t give the specific figure of houses and boutiques they had
broken into, further confessed that their operations had been restricted to
Ibafo and Mowe because they feared being arrested in Lagos if they attempt to
carry out similar operations.
Ogunleye explained
that he met Effiong in February 2019 in Oke-Koto, Agege. He stated that their
discussions on how to survive the harsh economic realities in Nigeria made them
to team up.
He further
maintained that before he met his colleague, he had been operating alone,
limiting himself to Ibafo and Mowe. “I don’t rob or burgle houses and boutiques
every day. Whenever I have money, I buy fairly used clothes in Kotangoa Market
and sell at Ijora, Lagos. Whenever we want to rob, we would converge at Kara in
Ogun State before proceeding to Ibafo at about 11:00 p.m to hang around the
area before striking at our target at about 1:00 a.m.”
Speaking
about their last operation in Ibafo, Ogunleye said: “We hid in the bush till
2:00 a.m before we could gain entrance into the targeted house. We used a crossbar
to shift the burglarproof and then we entered. We were with the occupants of
the house till 5:00 a.m. We collected five mobile phones, N4, 000 and a
motorcycle. We were at Oshodi when RRS motorcycle riders intercepted and
arrested us in the morning.”
The police
stated that three of their victims have identified the suspects at RRS
headquarters. One of them, a teenager, revealed that the suspects spent more
than five hours with her and her younger sister in their apartment, while their
parents were away.
She disclosed
that the suspects carted away all her mother's jewelry, clothes and two flat
screen televisions before leaving.
Also
arrested alongside the two suspects is Chinedu Onyema, their receiver. Onyema was
alleged to have gone to Oshodi with N30, 000 to bribe the RRS operatives to
release Ogunleye and Effiong. The move failed.
Recovered
from the suspects were seven mobile phones, N4000 and a motorcycle with the
registration number GGE 962 QN.
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