I use my tricycle to convey guns for politicians, robbers – Suspect

The Lagos State Police Command on the trail of armed robbers terrorising residents in parts of the state recently clamped down on a group of suspected armed robbery gang. The lucky break came when the police arrested a man partially blind alleged to be involved in armed robbery. Curious as it sounds, but following his confession as a professional armourer for cultists and armed robbers in the state, five other members of his gang were arrested.
The suspect, 29-year-old Muyideen Ibrahim, a tricycle operator  was arrested by operatives attached to the Federal Special Anti- Robbery Squad (FSARS)  of the Lagos State Police Command  alongside five other   suspected members of  his gang.
According to the police, Ibrahim and his gang were  arrested with  locally made pistols and live cartridges they allegedly  use to rob residents in Lagos State.
Other members of the gang include  Ramonu Sanusi, Rilawanu Ayinde , Sodiq Olaide and Kazeem Idris.

In his confession to the police,  Ibrahim denied he is a member of any armed robbery gang  but admitted he is a political thug employed by gangs in the state to use his tricycle  to convey weapons for  robbery gangs.
“I am not an armed robber, but I work as a  political thug.  I  use my keke Marwa (tricycle)  to  convey weapons for different robbery gangs in Lagos State. The armed robbery gang members also belong to different cults and confraternities in Lagos State.  These boys work for politicians who give them guns to intimidate and oppress their rivals particularly during elections.

“I am not part of that; I don’t kill or fire gun though I work for the politicians. Sometimes too I handle a gun to protect our politicians from harm and to scare their rivals.   Most of the guns were given to us by politicians for their protection. We get the guns from some honourables at Onike, Yaba and they pay us at the end of the day for the job of protecting them.”

Ibrahim revealed that some politicians end up not retrieving the guns from them and in some cases, “we refuse to return the guns to them. Most of the thugs are cultists and they are from different confraternities, but during elections, the politicians use all of them for their support.  One of such cultist and armed robber is known as Dagbe Ahmed. Dagbe was living with me, though I never knew he is an armed robber. I was arrested because the police got to know that he lives with me. Dagbe and I work for different politicians. I do not fight or kill like other thugs. I just operate my tricycle after elections to sustain myself and my family.”

Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Mr. Fatai Owoseni said the police are on the trail of other members of the gang identified as Oshanleke and Sodiq Kashi and promised that they will be arrested soon.