A
25-year old armed robbery suspect has told operatives of the Rapid Response
Squad of the Lagos State Police Command how his gang robbed about 35 Automated
Teller Machine users in Alaba Rago Market, Ojo area of Lagos., the police said.
Gbenga Babatunde, who
was arrested after a failed bid to rob a lady who withdrew an unspecified
amount of money around 5:48 a.m. at an ATM point in Alaba Rago Market, was
chased by the operatives patrolling the area, during which a ‘cut-to-size’
locally made short gun with two live cartridges were recovered from him, the
police said.
In a statement on
Sunday, the police said the suspect had an accomplice whose name was given as
Samson Baba Ramadan, 28, who managed to escape after the botched operation.
The police said Mr.
Babatunde owned up to the crime at the RRS Headquarters in Alausa, adding that
it was his accomplice, who is now at large, that introduced the crime to him.
“I have been in the
crime since I met my colleague, Samson Baba Ramadan. I met him at Field Joint,
Alaba, two years ago and since then we have been working together,” said Mr.
Babatunde.
“We have robbed about
35 people together. We would have gotten to the ATM point by 4:00 a.m. We would
hide inside the shop that is not open beside the ATM point.”
The suspect said as
soon as a potential victim withdraws money, they would accost him or her,
collect the money and escape.
“The last money we
collected was N40, 000. Yesterday, we collected N12, 500,” he said.
“This
morning, we wanted to collect money from a lady. That lady ran away. We thought
she had gone, not knowing that she went to inform RRS. This was around 5:00
a.m. They pursued us and arrested me but my partner escaped.
“I don’t go home. I
sleep in Osankwa Hotel, Alaba Rago. It is only whenever I don’t have money that
I go home. I have no wife and no child.”
Also recovered from the
suspect were a First Bank Mastercard belonging to one Iweka Christopher Uchenna
and a Diamond Bank debit card owned by one Nkechi Esther Idoko.
The Lagos State Police
spokesperson, Dolapo Badmus, who confirmed the arrest, noted that the police
would leave no stone unturned towards ensuring that suspected criminals are
brought to justice.
The case has been
transferred to State Criminal Investigation Department for further
investigation and prosecution, the police said.
-PT
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