MICHAEL AKINOLA
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Hakeem Odumosu, may have passed strong massages to armed bandits that he was fully prepared and there is no hiding place for criminal elements in the State following the arrest of the most wanted armed bandit, Olamuekan Fatai, a.k.a ‘Up Arsenal’ for bank robbery. P.M.EXPRESS reports that ‘Up Arsenal’ was arrested after he went to Ecobank in Ejigbo area of Lagos with his gang, robbed some people and caused violence in the area with impunity and escaped.
According to Ejigbo residents, ‘Up Arsenal’ was seen to be invincible and had the capacity to disappear and where he cannot disappear, he had strong links with politicians, who often rescued him because they often use him during elections period.
However, his invincibility came to end following his arrest by Police operatives from Ejigbo Division led by the DPO, CSP Olabisi Okuwobi, in an undisclosed hospital, where he was receiving treatment over injuries he sustained during a violent clash with a rival group.
It was gathered that during the bloody clash, ‘Up Arsenal’ sustained serious injury and was secretly taken to the hospital for treatment before the Police received intelligence and the DPO personally led the operation and eventually arrested.
He was charged before the Ejigbo Magistrates Court, where he was remanded in prison custody for robbery without an option of bail.
In the charge sheet sighted by P.M.EXPRESS, the Police alleged that the defendant, who uses three different names: Olamuekan, Suleimon and Inache, had within March, June and October, 2019, with others now at large, invaded Ecobank and robbed customers of their money and phones and escaped.
The Police also alleged that the defendant armed with cutlasses and broken bottles attacked some victims at Omiyale and Oboye Streets, where he damaged one Toyota Corolla car with registration number GGE 801 FN belonging to one Daniel Onwuka.
The Court did not take his plea after the prosecutor, Supol Kenneth Asibor, asked the Court to refer the matter to the DPP because the alleged offence involved the use of arms.
Thus, the Presiding Magistrate, Mr. T.O. Shomade, ordered him remanded in prison custody and directed the prosecutor to duplicate the file and send to the DPP for advice.
The Court also referred the issue of granting him bail to the High Court of Lagos for consideration. The matter was adjourned till 15th January, 2020, for report of the DPP to be ready.
The matter may be transferred to the High Court if the DPP finds him culpable and recommends his trial for armed robbery which attracts several years of imprisonment if he is tried and found guilty.
P.M.EXPRESS gathered that since the arrest of ‘Up Arsenal’, there has been relative peace in Ejigbo as other members of his gang have reportedly relocated.
However, the residents expressed fear that ‘Up Arsenal’ may be released soon because of the links he was said to have with some politicians who often used him as hit man to cause violence in the state.