Police nab 2 robbery suspects in Lagos

Two suspected members of a four-man armed robbery gang have been arrested by officers of the Lagos State Police Command, Ikeja, during a robbery operation at Gowon Estate, Egbeda area of the state.

The two suspects simply identified as Akeem Abu and Banabas Ebijimi were arrested while attempting to cut the burglary proof of a house in the Estate when the security alarm system installed in the building was triggered off.

A member of the family, it was reported, quickly  alerted the police who responded immediately and arrested the duo while two others, Sunday (the leader of the gang) and Maxwell escaped.

One of the arrested suspects, 24-year-old Akeem Abu, who claimed to be a butcher at Odunerun at Alaba Rago, said he went into robbery because he needed money to repay the loan he took to buy a motorbike.

He said: “I needed money to pay for the bike  installmentally. I had to go with them for the operation. That was the third operation I was getting involved in.  I made over N70,000 from the three operations.”

He added that from each operation that he made about N35,000, “It was at Gowon Estate that we carried out the robbery operation. Sunday is the leader of the gang. Now that I have been arrested, I feel very bad.”

Banabas Ebijimi, who claimed he got to know members of the gang through his elder brother, said he was caught by the Police because he was not familiar with the Estate.

His words: “Others were able to escape because they are familiar with the area. I was caught because I don’t live around the area.

“I was a trailer driver before I went into robbery, when the truck was collected from me.

“I am not married but I have a child. My child is with my mother.

I am the fourth child. I finished my secondary education at Community Secondary School, Akorede in Ondo State.

My mother lives at Ajegunle while my father lives in Ondo State.

It was learned that efforts are ongoing to apperhend the two other members of the gang who are currently at large.

Vanguard