The operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State
Police Command have arrested two suspected robbers who specialise in attacking
and robbing motorists and commuters in Mile 2 area of Lagos State.
The suspects, Sunday Chukwunweike (26) and Emmanuel Friday
(28), were arrested after mid-night on Mile 2 Bridge in Lagos after robbing a
truck driver, Yinusa Salami. The duo robbed Yinusa, alongside two other
accomplices, Silas and Sule, both still at large, of a sum of N45,000 and his
mobile phone.
In his
confession, one of the suspects, Emmanuel, a secondary school dropout who later
became a bus conductor in the area said, "I was in the company of my friends
when we saw the driver. He was coming from Apapa. He stopped on the bridge to pick
somebody.
"It was the
elderly ones among us that robbed him. I thought they were going to drop some
money for us to eat when we approached him. It was Silas and Sule that dipped
their hands in his pockets and brought out some money… They took the money and
the phone and we went our way. They later told us that it was N40,000:00 they
took in his pocket. Because they are stronger than us, they gave my colleague
and I N10,000:00 to share…. We were hungry, that was what made us follow them.
I took to the street after dropping out of school to fend for myself. Although,
I have participated in so many crimes such as inter-group fight, hemp smoking,
pick pocketing and the rest, I have never been involved in robbery or
threatening people with gun or dangerous objects."
Emmanuel
added, "I have been to the prison twice. One in 2013 where I spent 7 months and
also in 2016 where I bagged 3 months after engaging in street fighting…. Silas
and Sule forcefully collected a sum of N45,000 from the truck driver and gave
both me and Chukwunweike N10,000 as share from the loot. We went back to our
usual joint before the truck driver led men of the Rapid Response Squad to
arrest us."
On his
part, Chukwunweike, an ex-convict, confessed to the crime but blamed his wrong
doing on the hard life which he had expose himself to on the street. "I came
back from prison after spending 3 months but here I am again in another mess,”
he said.
The truck
driver, Yinusa Salami, stated that he stopped at the bridge to pick up his
brother who was waiting for him there. “I was coming from Apapa and heading to
Osun. I wanted to assist my brother who was equally going to Osun State. I got
to the bridge and I alighted from the truck; that was when I saw four of them….
I was about giving them some money when they seized my arms, before dragging me
to the ground and forcefully collected all the money in my pocket totalling
N45,000 claiming they control the area and nothing can happen afterwards.
I
approached men of RRS stationed at the other side of the bridge to report the
incident. They followed me to track the boys. That was when we saw the two of
them trying to split their own share of the money. They were arrested there but
the other two guys escaped."
The
suspects have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department
for further investigations and prosecution.
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