My Friend Tricked Me to Join Robbery Gang, Claims Suspect
A38 year-old Aluminium fabricator, Lukeman Soyoye who was recently arrested on an allegation that he connived with his friend, Ramoni Adeleke to steal a car has said that Adeleke deceived him into joining his gang for robbery operations. Soyoye, who is cooling his heels with his friend, Adeleke at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) cells of the Lagos State Police Command claimed it was Adeleke who lied to him when he lured him to accompany him to the house of a man owing him some money in order to seize the man’s car and compel him to pay the debt.
“I never knew that he was taking me to rob”, he averred.
The suspect who resides at No. 22, Ifelodun Street, Dopemu, said his friend, Adeleke, used to bring his commercial bus to his workshop to fix glasses and from there, they became friends.
“I am married with six children. Adeleke called me on November 16, 2014 that one of his friends owed him some amount of money and that he was going to seize his car. He took me to the man’s house located along Allen Avenue, Ikeja and we removed the car at about 4:00 am. Surprisingly, the car was parked on the road side. Adeleke forced the door of the car open and drove it away. I was following him behind
with my 4runner jeep. He took the car to Ilepo, Oke-Odo, Abeokuta/Oshodi Road, and sold it to one Alhaji. I did not go with him, but he gave me N80, 000 after selling off the car. I used the money to pay school fees for my children. It was after we removed the car that I realised it was robbery mission we went for”, he explained.
While confirming the arrest of the suspects, Mr. Kenneth Nwosu, Lagos State Police Command Public Relations Officer, said the stolen vehicle had been recovered.
He said that this was not the first time Adeleke was being arrested for car theft, adding that he was charged to court for a similar of offence in March this year. “Adeleke and Soyoye were arrested for alleged conspiracy and car theft which they carried out since November 16, 2014. They were arrested on the 19th of April, 2015 by SARS operatives, that was equipped with the video clip and footage of the Close
Circuit Television which captured the suspects removing a Toyota Corolla where the owner parked it in front of a hotel in Allen Avenue, Ikeja”, said Nwosu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP).
Adeleke, 54 years old, who hails from Ede, Osun State, who is the prime suspect and a resident of No. 17, Obilegun Street, Iba, LASU/Ojo Road, is married with four children.
“I was arrested for car theft. I went out with Lukeman when we saw the car where it was parked and we decided to steal it”, said the suspect.
The suspect who claimed to be a transporter and operates a commercial bus between Oshodi and Obalende road, disclosed that they first came to the Airport Hotel, Ikeja area where they ate and drank while waiting till the wee hours of the morning to carry out the operation
“We took it to a buyer and sold it to one Alhaji for N400, 000. I gave N80, 000 to Soyoye and the remaining money I gave to my friend Chief Kola who was very ill to treat himself in the hospital. I was arrested while I was going to pray at a Mosque in Allen Avenue”, he confessed.