Police arrest 2 inter-state robbery suspects
Two inter – state robbers who have been breaking into homes and boutiques in Lagos and Ogun states, dispossessing residents of their belongings have been arrested by operatives of the police rapid response squad in Oshodi after another successful outing.
The robbers, Gbemi Ogunleye (45), a fairly used cloth seller in Ijora and Ini Effiong (32), a road side hawker in Oshodi were arrested in the early hours of Wednesday, after an all night robbery at the resident of a cleric in Ibafo, Ogun state.
The suspects in their confessions stated that they break into homes and boutiques in Ibafo at midnight, cart away clothes, mobile phones and electronics.
They added that during the day, they sell the electronic and mobile phones as well as clothes before returning to their respective businesses in Ijora and Oshodi in Lagos.
Ogunleye stated that apart from the fairly used clothes popularly known as ‘okrika’ which he sells at Ijora, he also sells clothes and shoes taken from their victims at night. He maintained that they target boutiques and survey 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 teams up with Ogunleye to rob at night.
He explained that he also robs in traffic at night, adding that he has snatched many mobile phones in traffic in Oshodi Oke, Bolade and PWD while hawking snacks.
The two suspects who couldn’t give the specific number of houses and boutiques they have broken into confessed that their operations have been restricted to Ibafo and Mowe because they feared they would be arrested if they attempt to rob in Lagos.
Ogunleye noted that he met Effiong in February 2019 in Oke – Koto, Agege and further stated that their discussions on how to survive the nation’s harsh economic realities made them to team up.
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He further maintained that before he met his colleague, he has been operating alone limiting himself to Ibafo and Mowe.
“I dont rob or burgle houses and boutiques every day. Whenever I have money, I buy ‘okrika’ in Kotangoa Market and sell them in Ijora, Lagos,” he said.
The suspects disclosed that whenever they want to rob, they would converge in Kara, Ogun state before proceeding to Ibafo around 11:00 pm to hang around the area before striking their target at about 1:00 am.
