2 Motorcycle Operators Turn To Robbery To Set Up Bar Business

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

The banning of motorcycle operators may have taken its toll on riders as they are gradually turning to robbers in order to set up other businesses in Lagos.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that two former dispatch riders with an online trading platform have been arrested by the operatives of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Lagos State Police Command, while attempting to rob an Uber driver of his vehicle at Anthony area of the state.

The two suspects, Sule Abdulkareem and Celestine Joseph, have confessed to have attempted to rob the driver claiming they had wanted to use the vehicle as collateral for a loan to start up a business.

The duo got arrested by SARS operatives at Anthony- Oke area of the state when they were looking for a more deserted part of the area to launch an attack on the driver.It was learnt that the two suspects had initially attempted to rob the driver at Anthony Bus Stop but the driver, sensing danger, drove to the point where they were intercepted by the SARS operatives.

A source at SARS said, “They were looking for a safe place to carry out the operation when our men intercepted them. They had wanted to rob the driver of the vehicle at Anthony Bus Stop but the driver did not stop”. 
One of the suspects, Abulkareem, said that It was an unfortunate incident.
“We initially wanted to rob him but when he did not stop we jettisoned the idea before we were arrested by the Police.” “My friend (Celestine) needed one million six hundred thousand Naira) to start up a business and we looked everywhere for loan but there was nobody to give us.””It was while we were looking for loan that somebody told us that we would need collateral to get a loan. We had wanted to use that Toyota Corolla as our collateral to get the money, unfortunately we were unable to rob the driver of his car.””I met Celestine when we were both dispatch riders at Jumia. We were very close then. I left because the company was deducting illegal money from my salary even after I had paid fully for the motorcycle that was given to me” he said.
He further said, “When my friend left, he told me that he wanted to start up a restaurant and bar business on the Island and that he needed N1,600,000 for the business. We both agreed to rob the driver. It was an unfortunate incident”.
The other suspect, Celestine Joseph, said, ” The gun that was recovered from us belonged to one of our friends. He is no more in Lagos. We were using it to protect ourselves from hoodlums in Apapa when we were working there”.
“I ordered for the Uber vehicle to come and pick us from Keffi in Obalande to Maryland. We planned to snatch the vehicle from him before he would get to Maryland. But when we wanted to stop him at Anthony Bus Stop, he refused. Maybe he was afraid that the place was deserted.””When he did not stop, we decided not to rob him again but we were later arrested by Policemen, who recovered our pistol from us” he said.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Hakeem Odumosu, while speaking on the arrest of the suspects, reiterated the commitment of the Police in the state to rid Lagos of criminals and other vices.