Policemen attached to the Federal Special Anti-robbery Squad at Adeniji Adele in Lagos State have arrested ten suspected armed robbers in connection with various robberies in the state.
The policemen also recovered three vehicles, mobile phones, two digital cameras, one AK47 police rifle, cartridges, raider polo shirt, army fatigues and one uniform belonging to a Lagos State Ministry of Transport official. A locally-made gun and a number plate were also recovered after the police swooped on the suspects in a beer parlour at Itire on Thursday last week.
The police arrested one Fumilayo Ahmed, the owner of a beer parlour, and her sister Oguntokun Folakemi as suspected members of the gang.
Miss Ahmed was accused of hiding arms for the suspected robbers in her shop and conniving with the gang whenever they gather in her shop to discuss robbery operations.
The Commissioner of the Police FSARS, Mohammed Gana, said that the police got a tip -off that suspected armed robbers were using a beer parlour at Itire as their meeting point and the IGP ordered that the FSARS policemen arrest the suspects.
Gana said, “We were instructed from the Inspector General of Police through the DIG“D” Department Force Headquarters Abuja that suspected armed robbers were terroriSing residents at Itire and Ijesha areas of Lagos State. The policemen went to the area and following a tip-off, they found out that suspected armed robbers were gathered in a beer parlour planning to strike. The police got wind of the meeting and swoopED on them. We heard the gang has fourteen members including the woman and her sister running the beer parlour.”
According to Gana, some of the members allegedly escaped, amongst them was the gang leader known as Abolore, who was reportedly wounded during a gun battle with the police. One of the group’s staunch members, identified as Star boy was, however, arrested.
Following the confession of one of the suspects, the police went in search of other members of the gang, who opened fire on the policemen leading to an exchange of fire with the police eventually overpowering the criminals.
Lekan Ogundare, the spokesperson for the FSARS, urged members of the public to provide information to the police. He added that the officers would continue to provide adequate security as he assured that the fleeing members of the gang would be arrested soon.
The police gave the names of some of the suspects as Suliamon Sanni, Taiye Suliamon, Nurudeen Yunisa, Idris Raji, Oguntokun Folakemi and Fumilayo Ahmed.
One of the suspects, who was shot during the gun battle, denied any links to the criminal gang. “My name is Taiye Suliamon, I am 18 years old. I was arrested because one of my brothers called Idris said I am an armed robber,” he said. ”Idris is not here. My friend Sule is among the suspects. He is a welder at Ijesha. Sule is the owner of the AK47 rifle; he is a vigilante but used the gun for armed robbery. I am a furniture maker but I am Sule’s friend. I know Sule is an armed robber but I am not. I was in a vehicle at Itire when I was shot.”
When asked how he came about the gun, Sule Sanni also denied owning the weapon. Miss Ahmed and her sister also denied being members of the gang.
“It is true they come to my shop to drink beer and eat pepper soup but I don’t know anything about the gun found under my kerosene drum. I was arrested with my sister. I am not a girlfriend of the gang members. I do not know anything about the arm robbers. We are innocent,” Ahmed said.
