We dig potholes on expressway to aid operations - Robbery suspects

Rotimi Omole and Daud Olatunji, Abeokuta

One of the robbery suspects, Austin
demonstrating how they dig potholes
on expressway.NEMESIS has caught up with a gang of armed robbers who used to lay laid ambush to unsuspecting motorists plying Sagamu/Benin Expressway and robbed travellers of their belongings by wilfully creating potholes on expressways so as to cause accidents.

Briefing newsmen on how the suspects were arrested, the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Joseph Apapa said they were rounded up by policemen attached to the various divisions of the state, Mr. Joseph Apapa maintained that the command had vowed to rid all the nooks and crannies of the state of crminals, hence the determination to control crimes to a reasonable extent and prevent the state from being turned into a haven of intra and trans border crminals.

The police boss described the bandits as saboteurs for creating potholes on the expressway so as to cause accidents for unsuspecting travellers.

While confessing to the Crime File, one of the suspects, identified as ‘Austin’, said they always made use of a giant size hammer to breakup a portion of Ibadan/Sagamu expressway thereby creating potholes for travellers while occupants of vehicles that plunged into such potholes and veered off the road are dispossessed of their belongings.

According to the suspect, “occupants in such vehicles are attacked and robbed of their valuables.”

Luck, however, ran against them recently when a police patrol team attached to Ikenne division, on patrol, following a tip-off, raced to the scene and caught the dare devils red handed.

The robbers, however, reportedly opened fire on the police, but later took a bow to superior fire-power by the police as they took to their heels before one of them, Austine Egbe was apprehended.

Also, during the parade, a Benninoise identified as Alase Amosun was accused of robbing yet to be known owner of a Toyota Camry marked Lagos HV 73 AAA in Lagos and attempted to escape through Sokoto\Igbo Ora Abeokuta, but was chased by policemen and arrested with the assistance of military men at Alamala Barracks.

Disclosing how the suspect, who is allegedly based in Benin Republic was apprehended, the police boss told the Crime File that the policemen on stop and search duty along Ibese Olorunda intercepted a Toyota Camry car with three people occupants on top speed.

According to Mr. Apapa, “the suspects having sensed danger opened fire and drove off but were given a hot close till they got to a round about near Alamala barracks where they were overpowered and thereafter jumped into the bush to evade arrest. However, one of them who was unfortunate when he was arrested was whisked away to the state headquarters of police, Eleweran while other two were still at large.

Explaining further on another arrest made, Mr. Apapa disclosed that apart from Seun Balogun and Segun Odunsi who were arrested in Ijebu-Ode shortly after they robbed a taxi driver of his commercial Mazda, Dele Famesan, Tunde Green and Kole Oyedun were also nabbed in Sagamu with stolen motorcycles allegedly stolen in Lagos.

Seun Balogun and Segun Odunsi according to the police boss, met their waterloo when the police patrol team attached to Obalende division in Ijebu-Ode received a tip-off that a two-man gang of armed robbers was operating along Ibadan road. The robbers who had snatched a Mazda were chased and arrested with locally made pistol.

In the case of Dele Famesan, Tunde Green and Kole Oyedun however, they were trailed and arrested for snatching motorcycles from unsuspecting victims in Ogun State and selling them in the neighbouring states.