Armed robbery Is more lucrative than our jobs – Suspects confessed

Two suspected robbers, Sikiru Oyebamiji and Afeez Salami, arrested by Lagos State 

Police Command, are of the view that robbing people is more profitable than their legal job.

 The duo was arrested in the Mushin area of Lagos and were also found with a locally-made

 pistol.

They were nabbed by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SAS, on Friday, July 31,

 around 12.30am while they were allegedly heading for an operation.

It was further gathered that the duo had taken a cab from Oshodi, and the vehicle had

 got to a checkpoint around Mushin where SARS operatives asked the occupants to alight.

The suspects were said to have ordered the driver to evade the policemen, threatening to

 shoot him if he refused. But the operatives arrested the suspects and recovered the pistol.

 After their arrest, the suspects confessed that they were nine in the gang. They also told the

 police that there were two other locally-made guns belonging to the gang.

The suspects told Punch that they had taken to robbery because their jobs are not lucrative

 enough.

24-year-old Oyebamiji who hails from Apomu Ikire, Osun, said he was a cobbler and

 bus conductor before he joined the gang.

He said, “I was formerly a bus conductor, and a cobbler, before joining the gang.

 I sold Indian hemp too. I met the gang leader at a night club, and he advised me to be a

 part of them. We are actually nine in the gang. In most of the operations, we stole phones, gold,

 laptops, jewellery, and money. I did not like robbery, but I had no option because my work

 did not give me enough money.”

Oyebamiji, who lives on Lawanson Road, Itire, added that he had gone for about five 

operations with the gang, and made at least N20,000 from each.

He said, “I have gone out with the gang on about five occasions. We robbed in Sango,

 Ogun State; Egbeda, Ojuelegba and Pleasure Ile Epo areas in Lagos. We collected money

 and property in the process. I used the money from armed robbery to send my son to school.

 I realised about N20,000 from each operation.”

The second suspect, 21-year-old Salami also said he took to robbery because his work was

 not lucrative.

He said, “I was living in the Ojuelegba area, and I was a meat seller (butcher). But, meat selling

 was not bringing me much money. So, I joined the gang. We make use of three guns, but the two other guns are with the boss. I realised about N15,000 from each robbery operation. I am actually an orphan. Nobody was taking care of me.”