We Hawked During The Day, Robbed At Night- Suspects

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

Two suspected armed robbers, Stephen Alake and Augustine Ubah have confessed that they were hardened criminals despite the facts that their neighbours saw them as hawkers.

The suspects were among the criminal suspects arrested and paraded by the Commissioner of the Police, Mr Imohimi Edgal at the State Command headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos.

The suspects were arrested at the Mowe/Ibafo area of Ogun State with sticks fabricated like guns and covered with black sellotape which they used as real guns to intimidate and dispose motorists of their valuables along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

Alake who is from Ebonyi State and Ubah, from Imo State used to hawk on the streets before they turned to robbers in Lagos and both suspects lived around the Ijora area of Lagos.

They confessed that they hawk ‘Gala’ sausage in the area until evening and then enter public transport to Mowe in Ogun State with their arms and commenced robbery till late in night before they returned to their house in Lagos.

P.M.EXPRESS gathered that the suspects have been terrorising motorists who usually held up in traffic in that axis of the busy expressway.

Some motorists complained to the police and detectives were moved to the area.

The succeeded in arresting the suspects and detained them at SARS at the Ikeja Police Command.

The leader of the group, Alake said he joined robbery when he realised that he was not getting enough money from hawking.

He decided to try robbery and was successful before he was arrested.

He narrated that they were three in the gang but he started before the two other members joined him.

They robbed people of money, phones and other valuables and made good money from the operations.

He however revealed that most of the money he realised from the operations were spent on prostitutes as he claimed that he had no girl friend.

The second suspect, Ubah said he was motivated when he saw how Alake who was his neighbour spending money with ease.

He then approached him and asked to be introduced into his type of business so that he too will make money.

He said when Alake eventually agreed to reveal the secret, he decided to follow him to Mowe and as it was successful he continued before they were finally arrested.

The Police Boss said the suspects were arrested following complaints from the public over the activities of criminals in Mowe and Ibafo area during the night.

The police then dispatched detectives who trailed the suspects, arrested them during their operation and recovered some stolen phones they got from innocent people in the area.

He said they have confessed to the crime and will be charged to court for prosecution.