The Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Lagos State Police Command has arrested two members of a five-man robbery gang in the Igando area of the state.
The suspects – Abraham Robinson and Seyi Shomefun – were reportedly apprehended after robbing the manager of sachet water factory, Hamadig Pure Water Company, on Aminat Burdge Street, Igando.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the robbery was masterminded by a worker at the factory, identified as Israel.
It was said that Israel, who is still on the run, had told the gang that he was broke and needed some money.
He reportedly invited the gang members to attack his boss, Yusuf, with an agreement that he would be given part of the loot.
Our correspondent gathered that the manager was preparing to leave the factory on September 13, 2017, when the assailants struck, and allegedly dispossessed him of N200,000.
A police source told our correspondent on Thursday that the manager managed to escape from the scene and raised the alarm, which led to the arrest of one of the robbers, Robinson.
The source said, “Israel is a casual worker at Hamadig Pure Water Company in Igando. He contacted Shomefun to bring robbers to the company to rob his manager. Shomefun went to the Mowo area, Badagry, to get other gang members. They are one Akin, aka BJ; Robinson and one other.
“Shomefun had earlier parked his Honda Accord on the company’s premises in order to study the manager’s movement. On that day, at about 8.30pm, the robbers came. They successfully robbed their victim of N200,000.
“He was lucky to escape from the robbers and raised the alarm and Robinson was eventually arrested. His confession led to the arrest of the second suspect, Shomefun, who also confessed to his roles in the crime.”
The source added that the car with number plate, KSF 204 BS, used by the gang to spy had been recovered.
Somefun, 37, told PUNCH Metro that, Israel engaged him to plan the robbery. He, however, added that he did not participate in the operation.
He said, “I am a sculptor. My friend, Seyi, who is working at the factory, asked me to arrange some boys to rob his boss. He said he was broke. I contacted BJ, who invited two of his friends. But I was not around on the day they went for the operation. We did not have the intention to harm the man. We only wanted to get some money from him.”
Robinson, a father of two children, stated that he had planned to use his share of the robbery proceed to start a business.
He said, “I was a commercial driver. I lost the job some months ago and met with BJ to help me get another job. He asked me to come to his house in Badagry. When I visited him, he told me that he and some people were planning a robbery operation at a sachet water factory in Igando and he asked me to join them.
“He said if we succeeded in the operation, I would get enough money to start a business. But unfortunately, I was arrested that evening. I want the police to have mercy on me. I have never participated in this kind of thing before.”
The PolicePublic Relations Officer in Lagos State, ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole, said investigations were ongoing on the case, adding that the command had intensified efforts to arrest the fleeing members of the gang.
In a related incident, the command arrested one Fosta Rufus and Olufemi Franklin for allegedly posing as Uber drivers to rob women of jewellery, expensive phones and Automated Teller Machine cards at gunpoint.
The Acting Commissioner of Police in the state, Edgar Imohimi, said a sum of N86,000 allegedly withdrawn from a victim’s Access Bank account was recovered from the suspects.
The CP added, “They also admitted to have participated in three armed robberies. One KIA Rio with number plate, BDG 376 EP, used in perpetrating the crime and other valuables, including Samsung Galaxy 7edge Plus, iPone 6 Plus, collected from one Nancy Nzuobo and Julie Eze, were recovered from the suspects.”
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