Ola Ajayi
12 July 2008
It is a case of different tales by different robbery suspects. It all happened at the headquarters of Oyo State Police Command where one of the suspects paraded explained how God delivered them into the hands of the Police
SUNDAY Adebayo, a native of Iyin Ekiti, has a look that suggests he cannot hurt a fly. It could be misconceived that the police arrested a wrong person. But going by the different sizes and hundreds of live cartridges, jewelleries and other stolen items allegedly recovered from him, coupled with the comments of his victims who were thanking God for the arrest of their alleged tormentor, Sunday should not be underrated. Underrating him would be tantamount to committing suicide.
At his tender age, perhaps, he thinks all that glitters is gold. To him, the best way to actualize his tall dreams is by cutting corners and making others weep while he counts his booties. Those working tirelessly with little reward to show for it are fools who do not know the comfort of riding choice cars and using expensive jewellery.
Blindfolded by greed and insatiable thirst for wealth, other armed robbers who had met their waterloo did not perfect their strategies. Sunday never weighed the consequences if he was caught. At the Eleyele Police Command where he was paraded alongside other suspects by the Oyo State commissioner of police, Mr. Bashiru Azeez, he wore a mournful look and shook his head momentarily, claiming innocence.
As daring as he allegedly was, he was the one assigned the role of armourer.
One of his alleged victims who included a popular business man at Dugbe area of Ibadan looked at him as a terror. Another group of people said he was the one that attacked them in an hotel where a Toyota Camry car was snatched. "This boy is the most dangerous here. When he caught us at the hotel, he was the one that broke the door and started issuing orders to us at gun point", one of the victims said.
But like other armed robbers say when caught, he was pleading innocence. His words: "When Tokunbo was caught, he brought them to the house at Oremeji in Ibadan where I was living before. He told the police that if they could get me, I would lead them to other members of the gang. But, the person they asked me to lead them to, I only worked at his boutique last year. He has a boutique, God's Love at Dugbe area of Ibadan. That was where I had contact with him."
When asked if he knew the man, he confessed him as an armed robber. "I know the man. His name is Henry. He is an armed robber. I knew that he is a robber through his younger brother who advised me to leave the former house where I was living. Before his younger brother travelled, they used to fight because the boy knew that he is an armed robber. It was Henry that rented the house for us and when I was leaving, I dropped the key for him," he said.
Sunday Vanguard conversation with him continued:
Why did you not tell the police that the man was an armed robber?
I decided to leave the house when I discovered that the man was a robber.
How did you get these arms and ammunition?
I only hold the key. It is that man who is in custody of arms. I was living in the house with Henry. And when I left, I was the one keeping the key. I am not a robber. What this man (Adetokunbo) is saying is that if they can get me, they will certainly locate Henry. I am a part-time student at The Polytechnic, Ibadan.
Another suspect, Adetokunbo Adekambi, narrated how the long arms of law caught up with him.
How I was caught: I was arrested for armed robbery on July 6, 2008 in Lagos. The armed robbers that own these things (pointing to arms and ammunition and jewelleries) called me on phone and said that they had some items to sell.
They normally give me laptops and mobile phones to sell. I sell them at the computer village. When I saw them, they now told me that some people were in Lagos that would carry out the transactions. They further told me that the goods were in the car but it would get to me very soon. They explained that a car was coming behind that would deliver the goods to me but I told them that I could not wait there.
They then told me to join them in the car. I didn't know that the police were chasing them. Suddenly, the police appeared and immediately they ran away remaining only me in the car. The police then arrested me. They opened the booth of the car and saw all these arms and ammunition.
What is my fate now that Henry has run away?
What led you into this?
I graduated from the Obafemi Awolowo University and served in Abia State. Since then, I have been selling phones, laptops and other items at Computer Village. It was one of my friends that introduced me to this business. I am not an armed robber, I only sell these items for them. When the police tortured me, I now confessed to them that I knew somebody who could lead us to one of them. I don't know their houses at all. It was through this man that they got where other members of the gang lived.
Akin Osunniyi, another suspect, who denied being an armed robber, still thought that the police would believe his story, saying they lied against him. But, a fellow suspect, Agboluaje insisted that he was one of them.
Agboluaje said: "He is an active member of our gang. We went to rob a house together. We were six in number. Other members of the gang are his brothers. Why should we continue telling lies because we have been caught?
Other members of the gang are Yemi, Kunle, Baba Tosin and Damilare. I was caught the very first day I went with them. It was my first outing. I had never robbed before then. I drove the car that day we went for the operation but the owner of the car has got it where we sold it.
"It is the devil. I had committed the crime before it dawned on me that it was wrong. They didn't use any charm on me before I accepted being a member of the gang. When they told me that day, I could not tell them no. I have been working on their farm for the past fifteen years.
"I was coming from Ibadan that day going to my village in Olorunda when they accosted me and told me that there was an operation the following day. I accepted to join them because I had no money. I had finished robbing before I knew the woman we went to rob was an herbalist. All the items we stole are with Yemi. We went to his village but we could not locate him. I did not rape any woman. It was Yemi that raped a girl in that house we went at Olanla.
"They arrested us because God delivered us into the hands of the police. We had already carried out the operation successfully and escaped before the police arrested us. This crime I committed is a mistake and will never repeat it."
The CP used the forum to advise the people of the state to give prompt and accurate information to the police so that the rate of criminality in the state is reduced drastically. He described himself as a lucky man for the peace that has been reigning since he assumed office.
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