Special Anti- Robbery Squad ( SARS) of the Lagos Police Command has on Sunday arrested four suspected armed robbers at Mayfair Garden area, Awoyaya in Ibeju-Lekki area of the state.
The four suspected armed robbers include: Rasheed Odetola, 25; John Zion, 23; Damilare Salami, 20; and Adeboye Dayo, 25; were arrested by the officers.
Exhibits recovered from them are, a locally made pistol, one of the phones that was stolen at the scene of the robbery, and four unexpended cartridges from the suspected armed robbers, who have reportedly been terrorising residents of Ibeju-Lekki.
The Lagos State commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, who confirmed the arrest, said that the police would thoroughly investigate all their criminal activities.
Reacting to their arrest, the suspects claimed that though the police recovered a pistol from them, it was not used for robbery but for land thuggery whenever they were involved in clashes against their opponent.
The leader of the gang, simply identified as Odetola, confirmed that the police actually recovered the gun and the cartridges from them, claiming that they were using it as land thugs.
“We are not armed robbers. It is true that the gun was found with us. We are land grabbers’ thugs. We use the gun to protect ourselves against our opponents,” he explained.
“When we were fighting the Hausa people some of us also sustained injuries,” Odetola revealed.
According to him, he is oblivious of what led to the fight. “I only saw three of them beating one of us and we cannot fold our arms and allow them beat him. That was why we supported him to fight the Hausas”.
He also added that after some elders in the community had settled the rancour, one of the Hausa boys claimed they stole his phone.
“They ran back to us where we were standing that we cannot leave. They collected our phones and money from us. Unfortunately, after searching us the Techno phone was recovered from one of us that was how they started beating us again that we were armed robbers,” he narrated.
Continuing, the gang leader said they were later taken to Elemoro Police Station at Ajah, where they were searched and a locally made gun was found on them.
Twenty-three years old Zion confessed that the stolen phone was found on him but claimed to have picked it on the ground during the clash between them and the commercial motorcyclists.
“I am a commercial motorcyclist. That was the first time that I went with them to site. It was Rasheed that invited us that some people were coming to fight with us.
“When we were fighting, I saw a phone on the floor and I picked it and hid it in my pocket,before we were eventually arrested by the police. We are not armed robbers,” he argued.
Reacting to their confession, the CP warned criminals in all parts of the state to be ready to face the full wrath of the law or turn a new leaf.
The police boss also that the suspects would be properly investigated and prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others who hide under different names to stir trouble in the state.
