By Olawale Abdul-Fatah
After several successful robbery operations in Lagos and Ogun states, end to operations of a famous two-man interstate robbery gang came to a halt after been apprehended by operatives of Rapid Response Squad in Oshodi after another successful outing.
The two-man robbery gang, Gbemi Ogunleye, 45, a fairly used cloth seller in Ijora and Ini Effiong, 32, a traffic hawker in Oshodi, specialised in breaking into homes and boutiques in Lagos and Ogun State and dispossessing residents of belongings.
It was gathered that Gbemi and Ini were arrested by the law enforcement officers after an all-night robbery at the resident of one church cleric in Ibafo, Ogun State.
During interrogation, the suspects, in their confessions stated that they break into homes and boutiques in Ibafo at midnight, cart away clothes, mobile phones, and electronics, adding that during the day, they sell the electronic and phones as well as clothes before returning to their respective businesses in Ijora and Oshodi, Lagos.
Ogunleye stated that apart from the fairly used clothes popularly known as ‘okrika’, which he sells in Ijora, he also sells clothes and shoes taken from their victims at night, saying we target boutiques and surveyed the environment days before breaking into them at night.
Effiong in his confession to the police disclosed that although he hawks snacks in traffic, he teamed up with Ogunleye to rob at night, explaining that he also robs in traffic at night.
According to him, I have snatched many mobile phones in traffic in Oshodi Oke, Bolade and PWD bus stop while hawking snacks in traffic.
The two suspects who couldn’t give the specific figure of houses and boutiques they have broken into confessed that their operations have been more restricted to Ibafo and Mowe because they feared they would be arrested if they attempted to rob in Lagos.
Ogunleye noted that he met Effiong in February 2019 in Oke – Koto, Agege. He stated that their discussions on how to survive the nation’s economic realities made them team-up.
He further maintained that before he met his colleague, he had been operating alone limiting himself to Ibafo and Mowe. “I do not rob or burgle houses and boutiques every day. Whenever I have money, I buy ‘okrika’ in Kotangoa market and sell them in Ijora, Lagos”.The suspects disclosed that whenever they want to rob, they would converge in Kara, Ogun State before proceeding to Ibafo around 11:00 p.m to hang around the area before striking their target at about 1:00 a.m.
On their last operation in Ibafo, he said, “we hid in the bush till 2:00 a.m before we could gain entrance into the house. We used a crossbar to shift the burglar-proof from where we entered. We were with the occupants of the house till 5:00 a.m.
We collected 5 mobile phones, N4, 000 and a motorcycle. We were in Oshodi when RRS bike riders intercepted and arrested us in the morning”.
Already, about three of their victims have identified the suspects at RRS headquarters. One of them, a teenager revealed that the suspects spent more than 5 hours with her and her younger sister while their parents were away, adding that they parked all her mother’s jewelry, clothes, and two flat screens before they left.Also arrested with the suspects was one Chinedu Onyema, who confessed that the gang had been his major supplier of mobile phones and electronics.
The Guild gathered that Onyema was apprehended after approaching RRS officers at Oshodi with N30,000 bribe to secure the suspects’ release.
Recovered from the suspects were seven mobile phones, N4, 000 and a motorcycle with the registration number GGE 962 QN
Commenting on the development, the Commissioner of Police Hakeem Odumosu stated that there would be no hiding place for criminals in the metropolis.
