End of the road for
robbery gang
We’ve been to jail before but if they let us go this
time, we promise to join the police - Gang
members
Two members of a
daredevil armed robbery gang have assured the police that if pardoned, they
would do everything possible to join the Nigerian Police Force.
The armed robbers,
Kunle Ajiboye and David Udeli who admitted being members of a five-man gang are
presently assisting detectives with information that could lead to the arrest
of the remaining three who are still at large.
Udeli, SLAPSnHUGS learnt was arrested while he
and his gang led by a certain ‘Jamiu’ attempted to rob a residence at Powerline
in Lagos. The
first sign of trouble, according to Udeli came knocking when a certain ‘Jakpo’
said to be a member of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) emerged from the blues
with a pump action rifle and shot him (Udeli). Before he could escape, he was
seized and arrested by the police.
Using Udeli as
bait, unsuspecting Ajiboye who had seemingly escaped was also arrested. “I got
a call from David. I didn’t know he was caught and that’s how I was set up.”
Ajiboye who had
earlier served a jail term between 2000 and 2006 told SLAPSnHUGS that his friends lured him into armed robbery. “None of
my relatives know I’m an armed robber. My friends lured me into it. I spent 6
years in prison. It was over a robbery incident where a gang member accused me
of betraying them. He said I was an informant. He shot me in the leg. His name
is Taiye. He’s dead now.”
To the unwary,
Ajiboye would pass for a harmless citizen in the early hours of the day. “I do
rewinding but it’s a cover up. I also sell banned substances. I sell it at Cele Express
in the morning. Most times, I make about N1, 500 and if business is really
good, I sell up to N2, 000 worth. I had to quit because the police were always
raiding. I stopped it and started robbing."
Using fake weapons,
Ajiboye and his gang usually rob houses and snatch bags. He however claims he
has never had to kill or maim his victims. “Our Oga always brings weapons when we
need them. He uses a real weapon while the rest of us carried toy weapons. The fake weapon is made of wood and iron but it looks like a real one. I’ve never killed a
cop before. God forbid. Since I started robbing, I’ve not killed anyone. When
we want to rob, we just order the person to corporate. We tell him or her that
somebody sent us. This is a lie but that’s what we tell our victims.”
After any
successful operation, Ajiboye says they celebrate by visiting pepper soup
joints and getting drunk. “After operation, our Oga could give me N5, 000 and
two handsets. It depends on how much we make. He also urged me to buy a weapon of
my own. He said this would prove that I’m a fearless robber. I’ve already given
him N15, 000 for it and I was expecting to get it very soon.”
The 25-year-old
robber however begs the police for forgiveness. “My father is in Kwara while my
mum is in Lagos.
I want the police to give me one last chance. If they catch me again, they
should just kill me. I promise never to rob again. If given the chance, I’d
like to become a policeman.”
Udeli on the other
hand reveals that his wife and his father in the village think he works at the
wharf. “I told them I work at wharf. We rob houses mostly. We pick a particular
street and take a strategic walk around. We just follow our instinct and enter
any house we see open. We operate at about 7:30pm. I’ve robbed in a lot of areas.”
Speaking on the sharing
formula, Udeli explains that the gang leader always has the last word. “We
always share the loot. Most times, I get phones and money. I just put my SIM
into the phone and if anybody indicates interest in the phone, I just sell it
off; sometimes N2, 000 or N3, 000. I regret being an armed robber. I’ve lost
everything because the police have confiscated everything I own.”
He also opened up
on how he ended up behind bars in 1999. “I steal because the situation in the
country is hard. I was wrongly sent to prison in 1999. Before then, I was a
truck pusher. I was arrested over a robbery operation I knew nothing about.
They accused me of being an informant to robbers. I was jailed for seven years.
After my release, there was no one to assist me and this was when I met some of
my friends at Iyana Iba. They were the ones who introduced me to robbery.”
The 27-year-old
robber who lives in Alaba says if pardoned, he would also work with the police.
“I promise to help them catch the rest of the gang. What pains me most is that
five of us went for the operation and only two of us were caught. Nothing would
make me happier than to see the rest of the gang (Jamiu, Alex and Taiye)
arrested. The police should have mercy on me. I’ll dedicate the rest f my life
to the police.”
Like Ajiboye, he
also had plans to buy a weapon but said he couldn’t afford it as at the time he
was caught.
After reading the robbers' story, do you think they should be hugged and given another chance or should sentence them to an eternity of slaps?
Source: My ARCHIVE
Source: My ARCHIVE
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