Men of the Nigeria Police have arrested a 26-year old Beninese Kwami Ajana and two others after they allegedly engaged in house to house robbery and dispossessed them of N700,000 with other valuables.
The two others are simply known as Abiodun and Salaudeen.
The trio who said they regretted taking to robbery after their arrest took turn to share their experience.
Ajana who is the head of the gang went memory lane first before sharing the robbery story that led to his arrest.
According to him, whenever he and others were leaving Benin Republic for Nigeria, family members used to urge and pray for them to ensure they make money through whatever means and bring it home.
He further stated that when he entered Nigeria, his head was filled with ideas of different ways of becoming rich.
He said: “I just couldn’t afford to return to Benin Republic without making substantial money.
“If I return to my country without money, nobody would welcome me.”
Ajana was arrested along with two other gang members identified as Abiodun Ridwan, 29, and Ridwan Salaudeen, 28.
They were arrested after they had robbed a couple of their money and other valuables at Oko-Afo area of Badagry, Lagos State.
According to the police, the suspects used to hire guns for operation from a cultist.
The cultist belongs to the Eiye Confraternity.
After the operation, the guns would be returned and some money given to him.
Ajana said: “I came to Lagos in 2010 to become rich.
“I came from a poor family and to become rich has always been my driving force.
“I want to take my family out of poverty and that was why I took to robbery.
“When I got to Lagos, I was living with my uncle, Adisa, where I learnt bricklaying job.
“Yes, I was making money through the bricklaying work, but it was not coming the way I wanted.
“I left the bricklaying work and bought a motorcycle to become a commercial cyclist.”
The suspect narrated that after the Lagos State Government stopped cyclists from operating because of COVID-19, he realised that he had not achieved his aim of hitting big money and brainstormed on his step point of action.
Ajana said: “I had not achieved my aim.
“I thought of what next to do.
“It was during that period I met and became friends with Abiodun and Salaudeen.
“We met at a party and became friends.
“We then formed a gang.
“Yes, we formed the gang to achieve our aims of becoming rich.
“After we had succeeded in some robbery operations, we bought a gun from the cult guy for N30,000.
“I bought the gun from him because I wanted to continue with my robbery until I had achieved my dream.”
The second suspect, Abiodun, reiterating Ajana’s story, said after meeting at the party, they formed a robbery gang, with Abiodun providing the gun for operation.
He said: “The three of us met at a party and we became friends.
“After we shared our experiences and life had been tough on us, we decided to form the robbery gang.
“I provided the locally made gun we used.
“I’m a member of Eiye Cult group, which was why I was able to get the gun.
“I got the gun from our number one called Abobo.
“I lied to him that I wanted to use it to protect myself.
“He believed and gave me the gun.
“In our first operation, we robbed at Oko-Afo.
“We went from house to house, robbing residents of their money and their valuables.
“When we got to the last house on the street, we noticed that a generator was still working and put it off.
“When the owner came to check what happened to it, we gained access into the apartment.
“We threatened to kill the wife if the husband didn’t cooperate with us.
“To prevent the wife from being killed, the husband brought out N500,000 and we took six phones, laptop, wristwatch and some trinket box from them.
“Other apartments didn’t have money like the couple.
“After the operation, we made about N700,000 from the street.”
Stating his own story, Salaudeen said his role in the operation was to act as a look out during operation.
He said: “Whenever we entered victims’ houses, what I do is to pick anything available.
“On the fateful day we went to rob the couple, I was the one who ransacked their apartment and collected their phones and laptop.
“The money was handed over to me.
“We don’t kill.
“Rather we threaten our victims with the guns.
“Our mission is not to kill, but to make enough money.
“We are just trying to survive.
“After the operation, we sold some of the phones and the laptop, but I decided to keep one to myself.
“It was through the stolen phone, which I was using, that police tracked and arrested me.
“The police used me to catch other members of our gang.
“I regret my action.
“I don’t know what my mother would be going through right now.”
The Commissioner, Lagos State Police Command, Hakeem Odumosu, reacting to the arrest of the suspects, warned other criminals planning to come to the state to have a rethink.
Odumosu said: “The Lagos State Police Command, under my control, will not allow criminal element to operate in the state.
“They should stay in other states or relocate to other states if they are already in Lagos.
“If not, we will catch and bring them to book.”