Police arrest burglar who pays N240,000 hotel bill monthly

A BURGLAR arrested by the operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command, has disclosed that he pays N240,000 monthly to service his hotel bills in the metropolis.

Joseph David, 20, from Ekpoma, Edo State, was arrested at Ikeja at about 4.40a.m. on Saturday after he had successfully burgled two flats in Gbajobi Street, Balogun, Ikeja, where he stole three laptops and five mobile phones.

David was on his way to his hotel room (name withheld) located at Dopemu, where he has been lodging for over a month when he was intercepted by the RRS operatives led by its Commander, Tunji Disu, an Assistant Commissioner of police.

Investigations by the RRS, which were later, confirmed by the suspect and some of his victims, revealed that there had been repeated cases of breaking of houses around Gbajobi Close, Balogun, Ikeja.

The residents around the area reportedly lost several valuables and cash to burglars who raided the area constantly.

The suspect made a confessional statement to the police, saying that he has been lodging in hotels because he couldn’t live in his parents’ house as a result of the poverty- stricken condition of the environment. He added that each night, he spends N8,000 for hotel bills, noting that he had lodged for over a month.

According to the suspect, “I was returning to the hotel when I was accosted on Awolowo Way by RRS operatives and they stopped to check my bag. They found: 1 Mac laptop; two HP laptops, two iPhone 5; one blackberry classic and two Nokia Touch phones.”

“The house I broke into is a two-storey building behind Jabita Hotel in Balogun, Ikeja. I scaled its fence around 3.00 a.m. and I finished the operation around 4.00 a.m. I have broken into some other houses in that area before, where I stole handsets and laptops. I am into ‘yahoo yahoo’ but money has not been forthcoming like before. I could barely make N100,000 and N50,000 unlike before. That is why I used to break in and steal to augment my earning”, he confessed.

According to his receiver, who buys the stolen goods from him, 18-year-old Benjamin Odinaka, a telephone technician at the Computer village, Ikeja: “I buy phones and laptops from him. I used to visit him in any hotel he lodges to buy the stolen items”.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer, Dolapo Badmos, the Lagos State Police Command would continue to work ceaselessly to ensure the successes recorded so far in the area of security is consolidated and improved upon.

The suspects have been transferred to Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SAS) for more investigation.