My gang specialised in robbing drunk clubbers – Suspect

A robbery suspect arrested by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command has said his gang specialised in attacking drunk club-goers and dispossessing them of their belongings.

He said that his gang would go out early Saturday every morning in search of their victims around Ikeja and Victoria Island areas of the state.

The suspect, Nathaniel Peters, 28, was arrested in Abule Egba early Saturday morning during a search for a suspected robber, who stabbed a woman after dispossessing her of her mobile phone.

An official of the RRS said Peters confessed to have been returning from a popular night club in Ikeja around 5:00am where he had gone to operate and was seen running when police were searching for a robbery suspect.

“The Rapid Response Squad officers, who were stationed near Abule Egba roundabout, heard the scream of a woman shouting for help at around 5:20am on Saturday.

“When Peter was arrested, found on him were stolen laptop, three mobile phones and two wrist watches. The woman who was stabbed and robbed confirmed it wasn’t Peter that robbed her.

“On further interrogation, Peters disclosed that he was coming from a night-club somewhere around Ikeja where he had dispossessed clubbers of the laptop, phones and wrist watches,” the source narrated.

Fielding questions from journalists, Peters said he had been visiting night clubs particularly those in Ikeja to break into parked vehicles and rob sleeping and drunk clubbers.

He said he had been in the criminal act since 2016 after his friend, one Sheriff, introduced him to it, adding that they were both butchers at the Agege Abattoir before they turned to robbery.

“I ran into him few months ago and he invited me to join him in going to night clubs in the metropolis to rob clubbers. He told me it was very lucrative. I discovered too that it was better than my butcher job at the abattoir.

“We start operation around 3:30am when club activities are winding down and clubbers are beginning to dose off. We rob those standing alone, sleeping in car and those that are drunk.

“We break into cars too. When clubbers are drunk, they hardly feel our hands removing their valuables from their pockets and bodies. We have a style of removing their gold rings while they are asleep. We sell the valuables to a friend, who takes them to Ghana to resell. But now, I operate alone,” he added.

Commenting on the development, the Lagos State police spokesman, SP Chike Oti, said the state Commissioner of Police had directed that those involved in the crime be arrested and the case to be transferred to FSARS for further investigations.