End of road for suspected robbers

•  Police arrest footballer, seven others over robbery

A  FORMER footballer with the defunct Niger Tornados Football Club of Niger State was among an eight-man armed robbery gang paraded by the Lagos State Police Command Tuesday.

  The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Kayode Aderanti, paraded the suspects at the Command Headquarters, GRA, Ikeja.

  The ex-soccer-turned robbery suspect, Nura Mohammed, who confessed on his alleged involvement in the crime, gave a vivid account of how they snatched a Honda CRV, 2013 model, belonging to Channels Television member of staff. 

   Although, he admitted that his part of the operation begins and ends with receiving and selling of the stolen vehicles in Niger Republic, he, however, noted that he was always around to give advice on the models of car to be snatched each time the gang embarks on any operation.

   Speaking with newsmen, Nura said the group had been in the business of snatching cars from unsuspecting Nigerians for over five years now.

  “I was formerly a cattle dealer in Lagos. I used tosell cows at Agege abattoir, but sometime in 2005, I incurred a debt of about N2.6 million. I ran away from Lagos when I could not pay up my debt and the owner of the money was on my neck.

  “When I left Lagos, I went to Abuja, where I stayed briefly. I later left Abuja for Minna, Niger State and in 2011, I joined the defunct Niger Tornados Football Club. I was signed with the sum of N150, 000. Our coach then was Landa Bosu. 

   “A year later, I quit football when I sustained injury on my leg and I went back to Abuja where I started a viewing centre business. It was a young man who sold drinks  by the side of my viewing centre that first introduced me into the business of receiving stolen vehicles,” he added.

   The 33-year-old father of two alleged that he was arrested in 2012 after he bought a stolen Peugeot car from his neighbour.

  According to him, “I left Abuja for my home town in Kano after I was released by the police. It was while I was in Kano that I ran into one Tony, who is also a receiver of stolen cars. It was Tony who introduced me to Ejike, the leader of car-snatching syndicate. I bought I total of seven cars from Ejike. The police arrested one of my boys when he came to collect the Honda CRV car. I didn’t know that the car belonged to Channels Television. It was my boy that was arrested that was arrested that brought the police to my place in Kano.

   “After my arrest, I was brought to Lagos where I assisted the police to arrest other members of the gang,” he added.

  Aderanti said that about seven members of the gang were arrested from their hide- out in Ikorodu area.

  Other suspects were one Manven Bali, 40 years old, Cheikube Emeka, 32, Ejike Chukwuemeka, 37, Nura Mohammed, 33, Jacob Ali, 28, Titus Johana 31, and Richard Augustin, 30,

  “Two locally-made double barrel guns, four live cartridges, one CRV Jeep with Registration No. LSD 322 CK, one Peugeot car with Registration No. AU 380 KWL, one Toyota Camry with Registration No. GRZ 42 AA and Honda Accord Saloon car with Registration No. KSF 95 DB were recovered from the criminals’ hideout.” Aderanti said.  

  Aderanti further stated that the arrest of the gang was sequel to a case of conspiracy and armed robbery, which was reported by an employee of Channels Television.

  He said that upon receipt of the information, he immediately directed the officer in charge of State Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Abba Kyari to carry out an indebt investigation into the matter.

  “Kyari staged a massive man hunt for the criminals. Eventually, three members of the gang members: Manven Bali, Cheikwube Emeka and Ejike Chukwuemeka were arrested by two SARS decoy teams led by Kyari at Ojodu and Ikorodu areas of Lagos. Aside the vehicles, two locally-made double barrel guns and four cartridges used for their operations were recovered.” The police boss said.

  He said that the suspects together with the exhibits would soon be charged to court.