Men of the Rapid Response Squad have arrested two ex-convicts and one other suspect for alleged robbery in the Lekki area of Lagos State.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the suspects, Emmanuel Michael, Mohammed Abubakar and Simeon Michael, allegedly robbed a 25-year-old woman in Lekki Phase I on Monday, May 6, 2019.
It was learnt that the men were arrested by a patrol team after the victim called for help.
Emmanuel, who was released from the Oke-Kura Prison, Kwara State, on Friday, April 26, 2019, allegedly told the police that he was previously jailed for manslaughter
The 20-year-old said, “I was imprisoned in Kwara for almost four years for manslaughter.
“With the assistance of my brother, I came to Lagos after my release and resided in Alaba Rago, Ojo. It was in that ghetto that I met Abubakar, who said I should accompany him to Lekki.
“He paid the transport fares from Ojo to Lekki. He did not tell me he was going to rob. He only told me to play along with him.”
Abubakar, 25, who is also an ex-convict, said the gang pretended to be cult members to put fear in the victim and dispossess her of her valuables.
He said, “We saw the lady and our intention was to scare her into parting with her mobile phone. We told her that we were Aiye cult members and that the colour of her dress gave her away as a rival cult member.
“I told Emmanuel to confirm if she was truly a rival cult member. I thereafter threatened to kill her on that spot if she did not cooperate with me. I took her phone and asked her to go and get us drinks.
“She left to get the drinks when we jumped on a motorcycle and fled. Unfortunately for us, we did not know that a police team was patrolling the area. She called for help and chased us on another motorcycle. They caught up with us at Lekki Phase I gate and that was where the police arrested us.”
Abubakar, who claimed to be a stylist, said he was arrested in Maryland, Lagos, in September 2018 for robbery before he was released in December 2018 from the Ikoyi Prison.
“I have operated in Lekki, Agege, Bariga, Shitta, Okoko, Maryland areas of Lagos. In all honesty, we are not cult members. We only used that code to dispossess her of their phone. What we did is common among teenagers raised in Alaba. It is called student parole,” he added.
The state Commissioner of Police, Zubairu Mu’azu, was said to have directed the RRS decoy team to comb all areas where the robbers operated.
The police said the suspects were transferred to the State Anti-Robbery Squad for further investigation.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the suspects, Emmanuel Michael, Mohammed Abubakar and Simeon Michael, allegedly robbed a 25-year-old woman in Lekki Phase I on Monday, May 6, 2019.
It was learnt that the men were arrested by a patrol team after the victim called for help.
Emmanuel, who was released from the Oke-Kura Prison, Kwara State, on Friday, April 26, 2019, allegedly told the police that he was previously jailed for manslaughter
The 20-year-old said, “I was imprisoned in Kwara for almost four years for manslaughter.
“With the assistance of my brother, I came to Lagos after my release and resided in Alaba Rago, Ojo. It was in that ghetto that I met Abubakar, who said I should accompany him to Lekki.
“He paid the transport fares from Ojo to Lekki. He did not tell me he was going to rob. He only told me to play along with him.”
Abubakar, 25, who is also an ex-convict, said the gang pretended to be cult members to put fear in the victim and dispossess her of her valuables.
He said, “We saw the lady and our intention was to scare her into parting with her mobile phone. We told her that we were Aiye cult members and that the colour of her dress gave her away as a rival cult member.
“I told Emmanuel to confirm if she was truly a rival cult member. I thereafter threatened to kill her on that spot if she did not cooperate with me. I took her phone and asked her to go and get us drinks.
“She left to get the drinks when we jumped on a motorcycle and fled. Unfortunately for us, we did not know that a police team was patrolling the area. She called for help and chased us on another motorcycle. They caught up with us at Lekki Phase I gate and that was where the police arrested us.”
Abubakar, who claimed to be a stylist, said he was arrested in Maryland, Lagos, in September 2018 for robbery before he was released in December 2018 from the Ikoyi Prison.
“I have operated in Lekki, Agege, Bariga, Shitta, Okoko, Maryland areas of Lagos. In all honesty, we are not cult members. We only used that code to dispossess her of their phone. What we did is common among teenagers raised in Alaba. It is called student parole,” he added.
The state Commissioner of Police, Zubairu Mu’azu, was said to have directed the RRS decoy team to comb all areas where the robbers operated.
The police said the suspects were transferred to the State Anti-Robbery Squad for further investigation.
