According to Police authorities, an eight-man robbery gang, Ife Olubaba, Saheed Wasiu, Segun Idowu, Wasiu Rafiu, Odelade
Kabiru, Waliu Sonni, Taiwo Obafunsho and Taiye Agege said they killed policemen simply to snatch their rifles.
The Special Anti-Robbery Squad revealed that the robbery suspects were arrested in different parts
of Lagos and Ogun states.
According to Punch metro, the Commissioner of Police, Umar Manko, told
journalists that one of the suspects, Olubaba, was a close associate of
robbery kingpin, Abiodun Ogunjobi aka Godogodo.
Manko said, “On October 9, 2013, a group
of armed robbers shot policemen attached to Iju Police Station and
snatched two rifles. On November 3, 2013, around 3am, as a follow up on
the incident, SARS men launched a man-hunt and eight of the robbers
were arrested in Lagos and Ogun states.
“Two AK-47 rifles with two AK-47
magazines fully loaded, one automatic pump action gun, four locally made
pistols and 135 live cartridges were recovered around Egbeda area of
Lagos along with their operational vehicle, one Hyundai Tucson with
registration number MUS350GB.
“During the exchange of gunfire between
the robbers and SARS operatives, Taiye Agege, who is the second in
command to the gang, was fatally wounded.”
The leader of the gang, Olubaba, told
our correspondent that it was Agege that advised him to kill the
policemen. He said they snatched the guns because the policemen’s guns
were superior to theirs.
He said, “It is Taiye (Agege) that is
the leader of the gang, I am only the deputy. We were on our way to a
robbery operation in Iju when Taiye said we should kill the policemen
and collect their guns. He said the policemen’s guns were superior to
ours. He then ordered the driver to reverse the vehicle to where the
policemen were stationed.
“He gave me a pump action rifle and he
held his own pistol and alighted from the vehicle and we opened fire on
the policemen. We killed the policemen for their guns. We quickly
snatched their guns and drove off.
Obafunsho, who is a female suspect, said she never participated in any robbery but Olubaba usually gave her money.
She said, “I have never followed them
for any robbery operation, I sell frozen foodstuff in Mushin and I have
three children. Olubaba usually gives me money once in a while but it
wasn’t until I was arrested that I knew they were robbers.”
