Four Beninese trans-border robbers arrested in Lagos
A four man Beninese trans-border robbery gang who specialised in snatching exotic cars in Lagos have been arrested by undercover operatives of the Lagos State Police Command.
The suspects- Ajagba Hammed; 30 years, Tobinju Potel; 35 years, Botan Remmy; 30 years and Rasheed Akinola 32,years – were arrested in the Mile 2 area of Lagos.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Imohimi Edgal who paraded the suspects at the Command Headquarters in Ikeja said the suspects snatched vehicles in Lagos and transport the same vehicles to their home country with the aim of reselling them.
Speaking during the parade of the suspects at the command headquarters in Ikeja, Edgal said, ” This is a case of conspiracy and armed robbery involving some Beninese. A notorious and deadly trans-border armed robbery gang that came into the country through the land borders to snatch exotic cars and SUVs at gun point and cross these vehicles to Cotonou in Benin Republic.
“However, their armed robbery exploit on January 20th, 2018 at 9pm at Ajose Adeogun Street, Victoria Island, Lagos spelt their doom. On the aforementioned date and time, one Olayinka Oyebola owner of a Toyota Prado Jeep with Registration No. LSR-677-DF went to Zenith Bank ATM gallery at Ajose Adeogun Street, Victoria Island, Lagos to withdraw some cash.
“When he was through with the withdrawal, he entered his car but before he could drive off, the criminals who had been stalking him like a predator to a prey, intercepting him, pointing their guns menacingly at him. The gun men were three in number. They forced him out of the driver’s seat and dragged him to the rear seat of the car. He was dispossessed of his Samsung Galaxy Edge phone, Laptops and cash sum of N45,000.
“The gang stripped him naked and drove him to Ajah/Epe road where he was thrown out of the car. The gang continued their journey until they got to Ikoyi, opposite Southern Sun Hotel, where they sighted another Toyota Prado Jeep with Registration No. ABC- 853-Lk driven by Engineer Fidel Onwodi with his wife by his side. The couple parked to buy beef barbeque aka suya. The robbers moved from their position and parked the earlier stolen Toyota Prado Jeep beside Onwodi ‘s car at gun point, they ordered the couple to the rear seat of the car and drove off.”
Edgal stated that while the suspects were going, Onwadi’s wife summoned courage and took advantage of slow traffic and jumped out of the vehicle while it was still in motion and escaped while the gang drove her husband to the middle of Third Mainland Bridge and dropped him.
The suspects made away with Onwodi’s Toyota Prado Jeep while the Prado Jeep of their first victim was parked at a location in Babatunde Crescent, Oniru Victoria Island from where it was recovered by the undercover operatives of the command.
On how the suspects were arrested, the Commissioner of Police said, “After a careful analysis of intelligence information available to the command, the undercover operatives were activated and dispatched. Their efforts paid off on Sunday February 11th, when they intercepted the trans-border robbers at Mile 2 Expressway while on a mission to snatch another exotic car.
“The suspects have also confessed to series of robbery operations in which exotic cars were snatched at gun points. They also confessed that Onwodi’s car is presently in Cotonou.”
In his confessional statement, Akinola who acts as the spiritual head of the group, providing protective charms for them as well as crossing arms and ammunitions for them said, “They came to my place in Port-Novo to collect charms to protect themselves during robbery. I collected CFA 30,000 for the charm. They also contacted me to help them cross arms through Idiroko because I had charms that would make me invisible and untouchable by security personnel.
” I was paid N15,000 per transaction and I have only done that twice. The charm I gave them protects them and opens the way for them. Unfortunately I was arrested at Mile 2 where I had gone to catch up with them for an operation.
Potel who arranges the robberies said, “It was a Nigerian driver who works at Seme that introduced me into robbery. He was the one who invited me and my friends to rob. We started this year and have only snatched two vehicles. The driver took one of the vehicles we snatched.
On his part, Hammed said it was Potel who called them to come and rob early this year. He said, ” We have snatched two cars and the car dealer in Cotonou collected the cars and he gave us CFA 300 million for one and CFA 1 million for the other.”
The Commissioner of Police said Investigations is ongoing as the suspects have owned up to the crime.
He said, “They are assisting the operatives with information that would help in recovering the Toyota Prado Jeep presently in Cotonou and in rounding up the entire gang members.”
