Sons of Retired Soldiers arrested for armed robbery in Lagos

 

By Nkasi Kolie

 

 

Four children of retired soldiers have been arrested for armed robbery in Lagos by the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) led by DCP Abba Kyari.

 

They were reportedly picked at Grace Hotels ,Idimu area of the State , where they were  planning massive attacks on  unsuspecting victims by posing as soldiers, bus drivers, conductors and passengers at the same time.

 

The police said that of the four, two looked alike so much that the detectives had difficulty to determine  who was who between the identical twins.

 

The twins, Taiwo and Kehinde Ojomo, were nabbed in company of Peter Samuel, 22, and Emmanuel Bamidele, 29.

 

According to the police ,they are all children of retired soldiers who claimed that they were led into crime by poverty.

 

The police said the twins brother have different gangs but sometimes unite to go for an operation.

 

Taiwo told investigators that:“Kehinde now has his own gang while I have mine. We thought it was necessary so that we will not be caught at the same time. Whenever he wants me to assist him, I would go and join his gang.”

 

On the day of their arrest, Taiwo said that he was invited by his brother to plan an armed robbery operation that was to take place that night along LASU-Igando route.

 

“I was at Grace Hotel in Idimu with my twin brother, Kehinde and Samuel when policemen burst into our room and arrested us. Kehinde invited me that day to help them drive their operational vehicle. I know that it is a shame that my brother and I are robbers. Police should please forgive us.”

 

“Although we made money, the highest that I have gotten is N100,000.00. Samuel and Bamidele Emmanuel are my gang members and it is his job to sell the valuables that we got during each operations. He has customers at Alaba International Market where valuables like phones and other electronic gadgets are easily sold. The weapons that we use in operations belong to all of us. We all contributed money and bought the double barrel guns from one Alfred who lives in Cotonou. He brought the gun to Nigeria for us. We usually hide the weapons inside my car so that even if police decided to search our house, they would not find anything.

 

Unfortunately, policemen from IRT forced me to show them the part where the weapons were hidden. I kept them under the dashboard of my car.

 

” It was poverty that led us into crime. Our father died while we were young. His gratuity was too small so we have to drop out of school. We learnt skills, but we were not making enough money to sustain the family, so we joined robbery gang to make ends meet. I am pleading that we should be forgiven as we are ready to make amends”.