‘ We Didn’t Rob; We Only Collected our Dues’

Police in Lagos have arrested four suspected robbers at a popular market in the state. The four suspects claimed they did not steal from their victims, but only came to collect their dues. SATURDAY THISDAY learnt that the suspects- Onyenge Osanie, Azuka Eboh, Ezelonwu Michael and Afolabi Shakiru were nabbed by the police, while they were looting some shops and robbing traders at the Alaba International Market, Ojo, Lagos recently.

It was gathered that the suspects, who are four members of a 10-man gang, were arrested by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Lagos State Police Command headquarters on December 20.

According to informed police sources, the gang, which was led by a runaway suspect identified simply as Friday, made use of locally made guns during their operations.

It was also gathered that most victims, on the day the gang struck, were phones dealers from who the gang allegedly snatched about 70 smart phones and i-pads from, worth about N1.5 million.

In his confession to our correspondent, 35-year-old Osanie said the gang robbed the traders and looted their shops, because they refused to ‘settle’ them. He added that they only targeted traders who had ‘offended’ the gang.

“We usually work with phone dealers in the market who specialise in selling stolen phones. When we steal, they sell, and they then settle us. But subsequently, some of them defaulted, and we attacked their shops. It was not as if we robbed them, we only came to ask for our dues.

“On that day, we had taken only 10 phones, before the police apprehended us. I had initially escaped, but two other persons among us, who were earlier arrested at the scene, later brought the police to arrest me”, said Osanie

Osanie, a father of three children, said he regretted working with the gang, adding that if he was fortunate to be released, he would not indulge in robbery again.

Also, 27-year-old Eboh confessed that the gang did not only burgle shops, but also vandalised some property during the operation.

“What we learnt earlier in the day was that a market chairman was coming to share out money. But he later failed to show up. That was when we decided to deal with the traders. When we got to the shops, we broke their glasses and carted away expensive phones.

“I joined the gang because I do not have a job. I have been living in hardship with my family.”

However, Michael, 22, said he had also gone with the gang on three occasions, adding that they took advantage of the traders’ default’ to rob them.

“I was working as a truck driver before I met them. I had gone out with the gang on three occasions to rob in the market. We only took advantage of the commotion in the market to rob them. It was not deliberate,” he said.

DSP Kenneth Nwosu, Lagos State Police Command Public Relations Officer, confirmed the arrest and said investigation had commenced in earnest into the matter.