POLICE ARREST TRANSBORDER ARMED ROBBERY GANG

LUCKY LAWAL

A four-man notorious and deadly transborder robbery gang who specialised in snatching exotic cars at gun point has been arrested by undercover operatives of the Lagos State Police Command.

The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State during the parade of the suspects at the Command headquarters in Ikeja said that the suspects snatched vehicles in Lagos and took them to their home country.

The suspects who were mainly foreigners from neighbouring Benin Republic were 30-year old Ajagba Hammed; 35-year old, Tobinju Potel; 30-year old, Botan Remmy and 32-year old Rasheed Akinola, were arrested in Mile 2 area of Lagos State.

The Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi while addressing journalists during the parade of the suspects at the Command headquarters in Ikeja said, ” This is a case of conspiracy and armed robbery involving some Beninese. A notorious and deadly
transborder armed robbery gang that came into the country through the land borders to snatch exotic cars and SUVs at gun point and cross these vehicles to Cotonou in Benin Republic.
“However, their armed robbery exploits on January 20th, 2018 at 9pm at Ajose Adeogun Street, Victoria Island, Lagos spelt their doom. On the aforementioned date and time, one Olayinka Oyebola owner of a Toyota Prado SUV with registration number LSR-677-DF went to Zenith Bank ATM gallery at Ajose Adeogun Street, Victoria Island, Lagos to withdraw some cash.
“When he was through with the withdrawal, he entered his car but before he could drive off, the criminals who had been stalking
him like a predator to a prey, intercepted him, pointing their guns menacingly at him. The gunmen were three in number. They forced him out of the driver’s seat and dragged him to the rear
seat of the car. He was also dispossessed of his Samsung Galaxy Edge phone, laptops and cash sum of N45,000.
“The gang stripped him naked and drove him to Ajah/Epe Road where he was thrown out of the car. The gang continued their journey until they got to Ikoyi, opposite Southern Sun Hotel, where they sighted another Toyota Prado SUV with registration number ABC- 853-LK driven by Engineer Fidel Onwodi with his wife by his side. The couple parked to buy beef barbeque aka suya. The robbers moved from their position and parked the earlier stolen Toyota Prado SUV beside Onwodi ‘s car at gun point, they ordered the couple to the rear seat of the car and drove off.”

Edgal stated that while the suspects were going, Onwodi’s wife summoned courage and took advantage of slow traffic and jumped out of the vehicle while it was still in motion and escaped while the gang drove her husband to the middle of Third Mainland Bridge and dropped him.
The suspects made away with Onwodi’s Toyota Prado SUV while that of their first victim was parked at a location in
Babatunde Crescent, Oniru Victoria Island from where it was recovered by the undercover operatives of the Command.

On how the suspects were arrested, the Commissioner of Police said, “After a careful analysis of intelligence information available to the Command, the undercover operatives were activated and dispatched. Their efforts paid off on Sunday February 11th, when
they intercepted the transborder robbers at Mile 2 Expressway while on a mission to snatch another exotic car.
“The suspects have also confessed to series of robbery operations in which exotic cars were snatched at gun points. They also confessed that Onwodi’s car was presently in Cotonou.”

In his confessional statement, Akinola who acts as the spiritual head of the group, providing protective charms for them as well as crossing arms and ammunitions for them said, “They came to my place in Port-Novo to collect charms to protect themselves
during robbery. I collected CFA 30,000 for the charm. They also contacted me to help them cross arms through Idiroko because I had charms that would make me invisible and untouchable by security personnel.

“I was paid N15,000 per transaction and I have only done that twice. The charm protects them and opens the way for them. I was also arrested at Mile 2.
Potel who arranges the robberies said, “It was a Nigerian driver who works at Seme that introduced me into robbery. He was the one who invited me and my friends to rob. We have only snatched two vehicles. The driver took one of the vehicles we snatched”.

On his part, Hammed said it was Potel who called them to come and rob just early this year. He said, ” We have snatched two cars and the car dealer in Cotonou collected the vehicle and he gave us CFA 300 million.”

The Commissioner of Police said Investigations were ongoing as the suspects had owned up to the crime and were assisting the operatives with information that would help in recovering the Toyota Prado SUV presently in Cotonou and in rounding up the entire gang members.