Gang of robbers at the weekend invaded a building at Ijedodo area of Lagos, raped a female resident, leaving the breadwinner, identified as Morris, in a pool of his blood.

The robbers, who stormed the building at about 3a.m., gained entrance into the sitting room through the kitchen window, confronting Morris with the information that he has N15 million in the house.


During the operation, said to have lasted two and half hours, the robbers tied six members of the family up in separate rooms before entertaining themselves with wines, juice, soft drinks and some loaves of bread.

Luck, however, ran out on the gang on their way out, when one of its members was apprehended by a vigilante group.

Preliminary investigations by policemen attached to Isheri Osun Division revealed that the 24-year-old suspect, Joseph Nwadinobi, a trader at Alaba International Market, had been arrested twice by the market’s task force over allegations of theft.

In an interview with Vanguard, the Anambra State-born suspect disclosed that he got only N2,000 as his share of the loot.

According to him, "I was invited by one Ikenna for this operation. I had a shop at Ikotun which was burgled. In my quest to raise money, I travelled to Ghana but returned last November because there was no business contrary to what I was made to believe.

"I went to Alaba International, where I assisted shop owners to refer customers to them. At the end of the day, I was paid between N1,000 and N2,000, depending on the number of customers I was able to take to traders. But there were days I did not get customers for traders.

"I was introduced into stealing packets of chargers from shops, which we sold for N7,000 as against the cost price of N12,000. I have been caught twice. The last one was last Tuesday, by the Task Force at Fancy and Furniture.

"After subjecting me to beatings, one Ikenna called me aside and said that I should stop stealing in the market. He invited me to join him for an operation at Ijegun.

"We got to Ijegun at about 9p.m. that fateful day and stayed in an uncompleted building until 2a.m. We entered our target’s house because it was the most beautiful one in the area. My duty was to stand at the gate, while others went inside to operate. I was not the one that raped the young lady."

"At the end of the operation, I was given N2,000. On our way out, Ikenna gave me his bag, which contained his loot, to carry. But as we were going, Ikenna and I were behind while Emma and the fourth man were in front.

"A vigilante group stopped us and ordered me to open my bag. Immediately, Ikenna and the rest took to their heels. When they opened the bag, they found a phone, a camera, a beverage, a tin of milk and an empty packet of clipper.

"I regret my action and I am begging the police to release me. I am ready to sign an undertaking to be killed if I am caught again," the Junior Secondary School, JSS, 2 dropout said.

Morris, whose head was stitched in two places, said: “If they were not sent to kill me, why did they keep hitting me with a rod and pestle on the head until I pretended to have passed out?

"I am not rich, my building is not the most beautiful on my street; it is only a bungalow. They came in at about 3a.m. and stayed until 5.30a.m. They went away with every valuable thing in my house, including my baby’s pampers, body sprays, sardines, juice, wines, baby food among others.

"As if that was not enough, they raped one of the ladies. One of them, whom they referred to as MOPOL, said they were informed that I had N15 million. I told them I was the wrong person.

"I gave them my car keys to take the car if they wished, as I only had N21,000 inside the car. But for providence, I would have been dead because I bled from 3a.m. to 5.30a.m., when policemen came."

Vanguard