How former neighbour organised robbery attacks of UK returnee, others

 Juliana Francis

Operatives of the Force Intelligence Response Team, (IRT), have launched a man-hunt for a suspected gang leader, simply identified as Aje, who allegedly organised the robbery attacks of his former neighbours.

 

The fleeing suspect, who used to live at Gemade Estate in Egbeda, was said to have organised two attacks on the estate, beginning with the attack on a UK returnee identified as Tobi.

 

In the first attack, he and gang members walked away with over N14million, both in local and foreign currencies.

 

The second attack was on one Mr Okeowo, living in the building adjacent to Tobi’s. In that attack, the gang smiled away with N4million. Both men were attacked on December18, 2020 and January 4, 2021.

 

At least three members of the gang, Sheyi Olayiwola, Sadiq Adeniji and Maduka Godwin, have been arrested.

 

The police stated the gang was part of those that had been terrorising several homes at Ayobo, Ishefu, Baruwa and Gowon Estate areas of Lagos State.

 

The robbers were able to access Tobi’s compound by scaling the fence. Once inside the compound, the gang broke a window to the kitchen, entered, grabbed some kitchen some knives and then robbed the occupants.

 

In Tobi’s apartment, they made away with local and foreign currencies. They also left with seven pieces of iPhone 12 Pro-Max and expensive jewelry valued at N10million.       

 

They returned two weeks later, to attack and rob Okeowo, using similar modus operandi to enter the compound. They carted away N4million from Okeowo’s home.

 

One of the gang members also attempted to rape Okeowo’s daughter. He was however appeased with a gold necklace and therefore abandoned his intention.

 

Sick and tired of the incessant robbery attacks, the estate wrote a petition to the General-of-Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu. The IGP deployed IRT Operatives, headed by a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Abba Kyari, to hunt down the robbers and checked the robberies.   

 

The operatives, using the aid of advance technology, trailed members of the gang to their hideout at Ikotun Market, Lagos State and arrested the three.

 

A police source said: “The suspects have confessed to the crime, explaining that their operations focus on Ishefun, Baruwa and Ayobo areas. One of their gang members, Aje, was the person who invited the gang to rob residents of Gemade Estate. Aje is a resident of Gemade Estate and knows Tobi and Okeowo.”

 

One of the suspects, Olayiwola, 28, married with two children, said: “I didn’t participate in the Gemade Estate robberies, but I have gone to six operations at Ayobo, Ishefun and Baruwa areas of Ayobo with the gang. We carried out those robberies breaking into homes through windows. I got a total of N250, 000 as my share after the operations.” 

 

Adeniji, 23, also married with a child, introduced himself as a vulcanizer. He explained that he met Aje at Ikotun Market and he later linked him to the gang.

 

His words: “It was Aje that led us to Gemande Estate because he has lived in that area in the past. He called us to go to the man’s house, who had just returned from London. We looted the house and everyone kept what he got. I don’t know the total value of what we sold, but I made good money from that operation.”

 

Godwin, 19, said: “We also specialised in stealing phones and money. We don’t use guns because when police arrest someone in possession of a gun, they’ll kill the person. We didn’t want them to kill us. During day time, we gamble with the money made from robberies, and at night, we regroup to rob any perceived rich homes. Whenever we entered a compound, we’ll break the kitchen’s burglary with a stick, after which we’ll pick knives in the kitchen and used them to rob everyone in the house. We usually take the stolen phones to Akala area of Mushin, in Lagos, to sell. Aje is the leader of our gang. He’s also the person who picked targets to be robbed.”