allAfrica.com: Nigeria: Robbery Suspect - How God Delivered Us Into Police Hands (Page 1 of 2)

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?

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