Ex-prison mates caught robbing in Ibadan

Two middle-aged men, who met at the Kirikiri Medium Prison, Lagos, were among dozens of suspects paraded at the Eleyele, Ibadan headquarters of the Oyo state Police on Monday.

Thirty-six-year-old Uchenna John and twenty-five-year-old Benjamin John were arrested on May 15 at Alakia area of the Oyo state capital.

According to police report, the suspects specialize in robing people of their bank withdrawals.

On the day of arrest, the duo was said to have successfully robbed one Olawoye of a sum of N270,000 around 2.30 pm, but, not satisfied, still went to a filing station to rob them of their sales proceed for the day, as well as attempted snatching a motorbike to aid their escape, before they ran out of luck.

WITNESS NIGERIA gathered that the suspects were challenged and overpowered by a mob within the filing station. They were beaten blue- black before being handed over to the police at Egbeda Division.

While speaking with journalists at the state police command, Uchenna disclosed that they normally come from Lagos to rob their victims in Ibadan, and then go back immediately after the operation.

He said they met when they were both inmates at the Kirikiri Prison in Lagos.

According to him, they have a sponsor in Ibadan, named Asiko, who provide logistics for their operations and give them part of the loot thereafter.

“Asiko has a car. But when we come for operations, he met us at the Toll Gate where he would give us the motorcycle for the operation. After the operation, he would collect the bike from us, give us our share and we go back to Lagos,” Uchenna said.

He also confessed that the operation in which they were arrested was the third they would carry out in Ibadan, adding that apart from targeting people from banks, they also go after people carrying bags suspected to contain valuable items.

In his own confession, Benjamin said he only came out of prison in January, adding that the offence that took him to prison had to do with car snatching.

“We had a master key that time that we used to steal vehicles. I got out of prison in January but had to go back into crime after I went back home and met my mother sick, but couldn’t raise the money to take care of her. I contacted Asiko for money, who introduced me to this business.”

The state Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Indabawa, who paraded the suspects to journalists, disclosed that a locally-made pistol and five catridge were found on Uchenna, adding that an unregistered Bajaj motorcycle was also recovered from the two suspects.

He said the command was on the trail of other suspects indicted in the operation.

The police boss warned criminals to steer clear of the state, pledging the readiness of his men to make life tough for people with criminal intentions.