We Rob Because Of What Government Did To Us-Suspect

The Lagos State Police Command has
apprehended a group of notorious
robbers who deal in stealing cars and
re-selling. It was gathered that a pastor,
Lawal Adesoye, whose vehicle was
snatched by the robbers at gunpoint in
Unity Estate, Igando, Lagos reported the
matter to the police on Monday, May
26.
At about 8.15pm on the fateful day, two
members of the gang had swooped on
the pastor while he was driving into his
compound and had snatched the
vehicle, a Toyota Camry model.
However, about a week later, following
a tip-off, the SARS raided a building
believed to be the hideout of the gang
and arrested the three suspects.Twenty-
seven-year-old Kareem, also known as
Asunmo, who is said to be the gang
leader, said harsh conditions that
forced him into armed robbery.He told
Punch
“I and Michael (Adeagbo) used to
be okada riders. We met in Oshodi
in 2006. Our condition was terrible
as we were living from hand to
mouth. But when the government
placed a ban on motorcycles, life
became more difficult and some of
us took to robbery. The first car I
snatched was a Toyota Camry. I
sold it for N180,000 and with the
money, I was able to meet my
needs.
“Before taking to robbery, I was
formerly into smuggling. I was
bringing in pineapples from Lagos
through the Seme Border. Later,
Michael told me he was going to
Ile-Ife, his hometown, to get a gun,
so we could start the car-snatching
operation. It was on one of our
operations that we were caught. We
did not know the pastor before. We
just saw him coming and we
decided to snatch his vehicle. We
sold the car for N290,000.”
The second gang member, 25-year-old
Adeagbo, who hails from Ile-Ife, Osun
State, said he took to robbery when his
poverty was getting to ‘an unbearable
level.He said,
“I was an okada rider plying the
Oshodi area, but I lived in Ikotun.
But when we were sent away by
the government, I could not make
ends meet again. I took to robbery.
“Apart from vehicles, I was also
stealing phones, gold, laptops and
others. I took to all these things,
because I needed to make ends
meet. The other members of my
previous armed robbery gang were
one Lucky and Kunle. Kunle is still
in the Kirikiri Medium Prisons, but
Lucky has died.”
On the robbery incident that led to
his arrest, Adeagbo said he had
gone to Ile-Ife to get the gun so that
their operations could be more
‘effective.’
“I brought the gun from my village
in Ile-Ife. We were not using a gun
initially, but I brought it so that we
could threaten our victims. On that
particular day, Kareem and I were
just strolling out, when we saw the
pastor driving into his compound.
So, we ambushed him, and hijacked
his car. We did not want him to
shout, so we threatened him with
the gun, drove him away to some
distance before dropping him off.”
The third member of the gang, 32-year-
old Patrick whohails from Ibillo, Edo
State, confessed he provided the gang
with shelter. He added that he usually
received ‘gifts’ from the two after each
operation.
He said, “On that day, Michael had
brought a black bag to my house,
which contained the pastor’s
belongings. He also dropped the
gun at my place. Many times, they
had given me phones and cash
after their operations. We usually
smoked cannabis in the house. The
place belongs to my father.”