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…nabs other robbers terrorising Sangotedo resudents
By: Okosun Dennis
A female cultist who also serves as the gang’s armourer has been arrested by operatives of the Command’s Special Squad.
The suspect, Blessing Gabriel, 30, suspected to belong to an armed robbery gang was picked up on 18th February, 2022 by detectives after other members of the gang who were earlier arrested led police detectives to her criminal hideout at Satellite Town.
During her arrest, a miniature English pistol concealed in a bag and substance suspected to be hard drug tucked under her bra were recovered.
Similarly, two male armed robbery suspects/cultists, Umoru Galadima, 26 and Celestine Igwe aka Ofor, 36 were arrested by operatives of the Command’s Special Squad on 18th February, 2022.
The two armed robbery suspects and others now at large on 21st January, 2022 about 2100hrs attacked innocent shop owners and robbed them of their valuables at Satellite Town, Festac.
Also arrested in the course of investigation were self-confessed cultists who belong to the Viking Confraterniry.
The suspects are: Ikechukwu Chikwau, 25, arrested on 18th February, 2022; Aleke Onyeka, 28, arrested on 27th February, 2022
Anthony Nwachukwu, 25 arrested on the 6th March, 2022; and Odo Solomon, 32 was arrested on 9th March, 2022.
The suspects are among a gang of cultists responsible for the spate of rival cult clashes in Satellite Town and its environs. One locally-made pistol belonging to Celestine Igwe AKA Ofor was recovered from Odo Solomon.
However on the 2nd December, 2021 about 1100hrs, credible information was received from one of the command’s strategic partners that some hoodlums suspected to be armed robbers often operated along the Ifako and Iju-Ishaga area of the state.
Following this credible intelligence, the Command deployed detectives for a covert operation to monitor and track down the suspects. The efforts yielded a positive result as one of the suspected armed robbers later identified as Golden Esone was arrested with a brownie pistol on 27th January, 2022.
His confession led to the arrest of other members of the gang at different locations in Iju area of the state. Investigation revealed that the suspects belong to various cult gangs.
The suspects are Golden Esone, 19, Olawale Yususf Quadri, 35,
Oladunjoye Akorede, 30, Abiodun Agbaje, 30, Mukaila Toheeb, 25.
While all the four first suspects have been charged to court, Mukaila Toheed, a self-confessed cultist belonging to Aye Confraternity who was arrested recently is helping detectives in their investigation.
Exhibits recovered from the suspects include: two locally-made pistols with one live ammunition, one axe and a dagger.
In another breathe, operatives of the Special Squad of the Command busted a criminal gang, which until now was responsible for breaking into residents in Sangotedo areas, Ibeju Lekki and robbing victims of their valuable property.
Members of the gang, on 29th January, 2022 about 0130hrs, broke into the residence of a victim at the Sangotedo area of the State and dispossessed him of his gold jewellery, mobile phones and other valuable property.
The dare devil armed robbers also made away with the victim’s Lexus RX 350 SUV and a Toyota Camry Saloon car. The same gang also robbed another victim at gun point and carted away his Lexus RX330 SUV, Lexus 350 saloon car and other valuable items.
Following the report made to the police, operatives of the Command’s Special Squad commenced investigation in earnest. As evasive as he was, the leader of the armed robbery gang, Desmond Igana, 27, was eventually nabbed at Ikeja about 1400hrs of 22nd February, 2022 while he and other members of the gang were going for another robbery operation.
While the kingpin was arrested, other members of the gang escaped. When searched at the scene, a locally-made pistol with five rounds of live ammunition was recovered from him. During interrogation, the suspect confessed to have participated in several robbery operations in Ijeshatedo, Ibeju Lekki and its environs.
Meanwhile, on the 27th February, 2022 about 2035hrs, four young men booked an UBER service but while being driven from Ojota to Fela Shrine in Alausa, Ikeja, the men brought out a gun and robbed the UBER driver of the sum of N80,000, a Tecno Spark 8 mobile phone and other personal belongings.
The suspects were identified as Michael Tobiloba, 23 and Ismaila Yususf, 18.
Consequently, the distraught driver raised an alarm which attracted a police patrol team on a routine patrol around the area. The policemen reacted swiftly and chased the suspects leading to the arrest of two of the robbers while others escaped.
One English made revolver pistol was recovered from the arrested suspects. Both suspects also confessed to be members of the Buccaneer confraternity.
These arrested were made know on Monday by the Commissioner of Police CP Abiodun Alabi at Command Headquarters, Ikeja while briefing the press as part of his scorecard since assumption of office early this year.
He was represented by the Command spokesperson, CSP Adekunle Ajisebutu.
He added that on the 2nd February, 2022 about 0200hrs, some hoodlums numbering about 16, armed with guns and other dangerous weapons, invaded Habibat Amokeade Street, Off Tinubu Road, Igbogbo, Ikorodu in two buses.
The hoodlums vandalised telecommunication masts in the area and loaded the stolen items in their operation buses. However, luck ran out on them when they were confronted by a team of vigilante which later alerted the police.
During exchange of fire, some of the armed robbers were injured and later taken to the hospital for treatment. Other hoodlums, however, escaped with varying degree of injuries as a result of the encounter.
The suspects are: Yaya Amosun, 54 and David Ugwi, 54 had the recovered exhibits from them which included 16 inverter batteries, six module cables and a Volkwagon Varagon bus with registration number LSR 479 XC.
