Oba’s Son Arrested For Robbery During Operation

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

Police operatives from Satellite Town in Lagos led by CSP Chike Oti have arrested the notorious leader of a criminal gang, who claimed to be the son of a popular monarch in Lagos State.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the suspect, identified as Yusuf, popularly known as Prince, son of the Oba of Oguntade, was arrested at Abule Oshun where he led his gang to a warehouse to rob and extort the owners.

After several months manhunt, the Police arrested the suspect, Prince, as they launched fresh attacks on some residents in the area, who resisted being extorted. They wounded scores of people and destroyed properties in the process.

Unconfirmed report had it that two persons were feared killed during the crisis that erupted Saturday morning and their bodies taken away to an unknown place.   

Trouble was said to have started after members of the gang stormed a warehouse in Abule-Osun with the intention of extorting money from the owner but the attempt was resisted leading to fierce crisis.
It was gathered that the Area Commander of FESTAC Police Area Command, ACP Halilu Muawiya, swiftly swung into action and ordered the Divisional Police Officer in-charge of Satellite Police Station, CSP Chike Oti, to personally lead a team to quell the raging crisis.
The middle-aged suspect, identified as Yusuf and popularly called Prince, is said to be the son of a man that claims to be the Oba of Oguntade village in Satellite Town. His arrest triggered wild jubilation by residents who had for long been subjected to killings, extortion, harassment and intimidation by the gang.

 Described generally as a combatant and warrior, the arrested suspect, sources said, had also spearheaded series of attacks on trucks and tanker drivers plying Abule-Ado, Abule-Osun, Alakija, VinNiger, some parts of FESTAC, Old Ojo Road Satellite Town, the expressway from Mile 2 to Trade Fair Complex, etc.  They were also alleged to have been coordinating robbery attacks on motorists plying the expressway especially at night during gridlocks in the area.

  P.M.EXPRESS learnt that the Police have had several deadly encounters with the vicious gang led by the arrested suspect and each time, they escaped to their hideout in Badagry after fights, which often lead to bloodletting only to strike again when the coast becomes eventually clear for them, leading to his being declared wanted by the Police last year.

 Sources in the neighbourhood also disclosed to P.M.EXPRESS that series of petitions about the deadly exploits of the gang were sent to different Police formations in the State without action taken to curb their menace.
 Visibly happy residents of the area alleged that the suspect and his gang members were responsible for the attacks and forceful confiscation of many properties belonging to people in the area who failed to part with huge sums of money.

According to sources, they were the people that carted away goods and properties worth million of Naira after breaking into the warehouse of a popular movie maker, Gabosky Okoye, early this year.
“They also nearly killed another businessman who refused to pay the N10m levy they illegally imposed on his warehouse by subjecting him to series of torture and beatings leading to his being flown overseas where he has been permanently on wheelchair as a result of the injuries he sustained”, a source said.

It was further gathered that the gang, last year, abducted six Policemen from the Police Headquarters, who came to the area for surveillance, subjected them to hours of flogging and punishment before carting away their weapons. Some Policemen from Satellite Division later succeeded in retrieving the weapons after pacifying them.

P.M.EXPRESS further gathered that the gang also invaded Oriade Local government headquarters after their officials went to work in Oguntade community and unleashed mayhem in their offices but no official action was taken against them.

Similarly, the officers in Area ‘E’ have arrested two commercial motorcyclists for operating on the express road and seized over 40 motorcycles after their owners attacked them. It was gathered that trouble started after the enraged commercial motorcyclists numbering over a hundred started pelting Policemen who were chasing them for plying the highway.  The motorcyclists nearly succeeded in over powering the armed Policemen but for a swift reinforcement, which led to their withdrawal.

Contacted for comments, Lagos State Police spokesman, DSP Bala Elkana, confirmed the arrest of the notorious gang leader and stated that they are compiling all his exploits in preparation to charge him to Court.