The suspected robber
One of the two-man robbery gang arrested by the operatives of Rapid Response Squad (RRS) has confessed how they robbed a 76-year old woman of N5.32 million in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.
The robbery suspect, Segun Taiwo said his ringleader, an herbalist, now at large masterminded the crime.
The suspect was apprehended after they had successfully dispossessed the 76-year old lady of her valuable at Oduduwa Street, Itire area of Lagos.
The duo had collected $10,000, £5,000, and N100,000 and a box containing assorted jewelry from their victim at about 8:00 p.m at the weekend.
Taiwo disclosed that he was only invited to the robbery by the herbalist, simply identified as Demola, who promised to give him 50 percent from the loot.
While explaining how they got clue before carrying out the operation, he explained: “The mastermind is a herbalist. He was treating one of the woman’s daughter (name withheld) who had sore in her right foot. Whenever the lady visited him for treatment, he was always stylishly collecting information about her mother from her. Unknown to the lady, he had collected all necessary descriptions and information needed to perpetuate the robbery.”
“After a while, he told me that we have a special operation. He further told me that his patient (the woman’s daughter) must not be aware because we were going to their house to rob her mother”, he added.
The suspect also told investigators that the herbalist knew the exact time to strike, the description of the apartment, where the woman’s money and other valuables were kept following the information gotten from her daughter.
According to the suspect, “we carried out the robbery successfully. We gained entrance into the two-storey building and headed straight to the old woman’s flat. From our preliminary investigation, we got to know that the first flat opposite the entrance gate was theirs. We went straight inside the flat without any stress. We met the 76-year old woman while sitting on the prayer’s mat inside the living room. We dragged and threatened her with cutlass and axe to surrender all her belongings, including foreign currencies with her or else we will waste her life”.
The suspected robber said that the old woman cooperated with them and handed over a bag filled with both Nigeria and foreign currencies.
“We also forcefully collected her gold jewellery box. However, on our way out, we overheard the voice of the old woman who was crying and shouting for help. Unknown to us, RRS operatives who were patrolling the area have overheard her voice. As we were rushing out to escape from the house, the operatives sighted us and we took to our heels. Immediately, the policemen made a hot chase which led to my arrest and my accomplice managed to escape with the local and foreign currencies while the jewelry box was retrieved from me”, he revealed.
The suspect also disclosed that they had before now, robbed an innocent man along Okota road of his N200, 000.
“My gang leader is a very powerful herbalist. He knows when you have money on you. The first day I followed him to rob was when we went to Okota road. On getting there, he saw one man along Okota road, and he pointed at the man and told me the man had money on him.
“We moved closer to the man and he recited some incantation, and to my surprise, that man handed over his money, about N200,000 to us. Out of that money, he gave me just N11, 000”, he added.
While confirming the arrest, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Superintendent of Police, Dolapo Badmus, said that the command was making effort to arrest the gang leader, adding that the police would leave nothing to chance to nip crime in the bud in the state.
The suspect has been transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) for further investigation.
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