Robbery gang bows to police firepower

Adelowo Oladipo, Lagos

The long arms of the law recently caught up with a 6-man gang of armed robbers who unleashed terror on some passengers of an 18-seater volks wagon commuter bus along Abule-Oja Road, off University of Lagos Road in Akoka area of Lagos state recently.

Crime File investigations revealed that at about 5.30am on the fateful day, the anti-robbery patrol team, from Sabo Police Station sighted the underworld men while carrying out robbery operation on the passengers’ bus and at the same time, discharging the unfortunate passengers from the vehicle after they had dispossessed them of their money and other valuable items.

Further checks revealed that no sooner that the robbery gang sighted the police patrol team than they aimed their gun at them. They were said to have retreated and laid ambuish for them at a corner of the road in the neighbourhood.

Crime File however learnt that the decision of the police patrol team to have retreated was strategic and to deceive the suspected robbers that the police team had actually left the neighbourhood because they could not match the robbers fire to fire.

“But when they re-surfaced again near the robbery scene, we engaged them in a shoot out that led to the killing of four while we arrested one of them identified as Bode Olajide, a 17-year-old kid robber alive” said the investigating police officer.

Mr. Omojuwa John, a police Corporal.

The policeman further revealed that during interrogation at the station, the suspects gave the names of the gang members including his dead colleagues as:

Muda, Liasu, Akeem and Jimoh who bolted away during the shoot out with the police. Others include: the gang leader, Sunday Oje, Saka-Saka and one Ahmed who had all been killed by the police during exchange of gun fire.

The Police investigation officer further noted that Akeem Jimoh was later arrested at his hideout, somewhere in Lagos while another member of the notorious robbery gang identified as Ijebu who was alleged to have wreaked havoc on the residence of Abule Oja community residents and its environs before nemesis caught up with them was also nabbed by the police at Adeniji Adele Police Station, Lagos Island area of the state.

It was however stated that the said Ijebu, a resident of Lagos Island, did not go out on robbery operation with them on the fateful day.

Mr. Omojuwa informed the Crime File that the police recovered arms and ammunition from both the deceased robbers and their members who were still alive.

Among the weapons recovered from them was a double barrelled gun, an English barrette pistol and (2) two cut to size locally made pistols with 8 live cartridges.