How we robbed our victims — Robbery suspects

They belonged to different groups, but somehow for a long time, these groups had managed to have their members take part in some sorts of ‘joint venture’ heists, where such operations required multiple robbers. But like all things criminal, there is always a

day that things end disastrously. And so it was for Bola Onasile, Sina Adebowale, Sherifat Bakare, James Isiwatu and Danladi Atiku, who are now in custody of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Ogun State, after they were arrested, some with varying degrees of gunshot wounds.

OLUWATOYIN MALIK was at SARS office to chat with the suspects. Below are their confessions:

Bola Onasile
 I am from Ijebu, Ogun State, but I live at Cow Lane, Bamgbose, Lagos State. I worked as clearing and forwarding agent at the port in Lagos State.

I joined robbery (gang) in 2013. I was invited for robbery by one Yemi. He used to ask me to link him with boys for robbery operation and also used to assist me financially. I went to Bariga and Ajegunle to look for boys that I knew at various joints. I have been to prison once after I was arrested at Abule Oja, along with others. I was working for land grabbers. I spent three months in the prison.

When I came out, I met Yemi who informed me that there was a N70 million job. He asked me to look for boys that would go for it. I got Allen and other boys, but I was not allowed to follow them. The group took two guns for the operation, but it was not successful because Yemi did not show them the place.

Recently, Yemi called me that he had a buyer if we could get vehicles to snatch. One Raji called me to inform me that there was a vehicle on ground. I called Yemi and told him, and he said I should negotiate the price with the boys having it, after which we should bring it to Oshodi.

We were about seven in the vehicle but when we got to Oshodi, Yemi started directing me to other areas until we got to a place where we had an encounter with the police.

Sina Adebowale
I am from Ikole-Ekiti but reside at Irefin area, Ibadan, Oyo State. I was a driver before my arrest. I am married with two children. This is my first involvement in robbery. Our NURTW (National Union of Road Transport Workers) bosses used to raid those who pick passengers along the roads and some of my colleagues and I devised a means of going out before our bosses to make money. What we do is to ‘arrest’ any private car owner picking passengers, after which he would plead to settle us with some money so that we would not take him to our bosses.

On a day this month, Samson, Matthew and I went to raid as usual. We were at the Ibadan end of the Ife-Ibadan expressway where we apprehended the driver of a Toyota Sienna van picking passengers. The driver pleaded with us, saying that he would give us whatever we wanted after picking passengers. But Samson did not heed his plea, as he secretly told me that he would drive the car to Ketu, Lagos, revealing that there was a waiting buyer. We took over the vehicle with the owner and pretended as if we were taking him to our bosses.

We made a U-turn, and on getting to Brewery area, asked the driver to get down. The three of us went with the vehicle, but on getting to Ketu, the person we went to said there was no buyer. After a couple of days, Samson said we should go to Lagos Island to see his friend. We got a buyer and Samson negotiated with Bola, who said the buyer would pay N350,000. We were taking the car to the buyer when we were arrested.

Sherifat Bakare (24)
I am from Kwara State but I live at Osborne Road, Ikoyi. I am hustler (commercial sex worker). I started in 2006 and used to go to beaches and clubs at night and would return to Osborne in the morning.

I got involved in robbery through one Baba Baki, who is my boyfriend and benefactor. He took me to a hotel and told me that some boys from Bariga (Akin and Spain) brought a N70 million job. He said I should give him N20,000 to rent guns but I gave him my gold chain to use in borrowing money because I did not have the money.

I also went to Mushin to inform someone I knew of the job and he said he knew James who could do the job. He called James and I went to meet him at Agege. I was told that I would sit beside Yemi as his girlfriend so that the gate of the house we targeted would be opened once they see a female with him. At first, I surveyed the street on foot but eventually the job could not be done.

Baba Baki also called me one Tuesday and informed me that there was a vehicle and a buyer was needed for it. With the thought that I would get a share of the money, I helped in calling Bola so that he could inform Yemi of the vehicle. We were taking the car to the buyer when we had encounter with the police.

James Isiwatu (a.k.a. ‘Student’, 25)
I dropped out of SS2 but I had been learning computer repair since my primary school days. I started working as a computer engineer. I was also into hemp sale at Abattoir, Agege.

I started robbery this year. I went to prison twice over area fight at Martins area that resulted in the death of one of the members of the opposing camps; but members of my group were not the one who killed the person. When we were taken to court the second time, the judge ordered that we should leave Lagos Island. I returned to my mother’s place at Agege. That was 2005/2006.

I was back in prison the third time from 2008 till 2013. I was wrongfully arrested because a young man, my former classmate who used to come to my hemp joint to smoke, was arrested for robbery and when interrogated by the police, he claimed he knew me. Though he used to play with me and give me money, I didn’t know the job he was doing. He told them I was not part of his gang.

The case was transferred to Panti and was charged to court. I was remanded in prison but the real suspect even got a bail before me. We learnt that he was dead and we were discharged in 2013. By the time I returned, my shop had been taken by others and my motorcycles could not be seen. All my efforts to get people to help me proved abortive.

One day, I went to Fela’s Shrine at Agindigbi where I saw one Alhaji, an ex-prison inmate. He was a buyer of stolen goods. He gave me his contact and promised to help me. As I was about leaving the Shrine in the early hours of the day, I saw a guy in a drunken state inside his car. He beckoned at me to help him drive his car home as he was helpless. It was a Volkswagen Golf 4.

On the way, I noticed he was asleep. I parked, dragged him down and went away with the car, his money and phones. I spoke with a friend, Alausa, and he introduced me to a buyer, Jamiu. The man paid N80,000 out of the N120,000 he promised. The car was very neat with factory-fitted air conditioner.

I called Alhaji and he took me to Cotonou. He gave me two locally made guns, asking me to snatch vehicles and bring to him. But the guns were not functioning well. I also got a boy, Sheriff, an okada rider. Very early in the morning, we would go to bus stops and attack people waiting to board vehicles. We would collect their phones, bags, jewellery and other valuables at gunpoint. ‘Yahoo! Boys’ were our victims too as we usually laid ambush for them whenever they were coming out of cybercafé early in the morning and would collect their laptops and other valuables. I also used the gun to snatch a Toyota Sienna van at Katangwa market area, which I took to Alhaji.

There was a job I got from one guy called Samson (a.k.a. Owo) and two others but I almost got killed there. We trailed a man to his house while on two motorcycles, unknown to us that he already noticed us. He asked his gateman to allow us enter while he quickly went to take his gun.

As we were about entering, he fired at us and one of us was hit. We ran away and one of the guns we had fell. I informed Alhaji and also gave the second one to Owo. It was then he gave me two good guns. He is yet to give me money for the Sienna. Alhaji is from Ajase in Cotonou and is a powerful man there. He has a building at Ajase.

Three days after my return from Cotonou, Yemi called me for the N70 million job. Samson, Sherifat and one person came to me at about 11p.m. I went to get cartridges from Jamiu. He sold eight for me for N10,000. I took my two guns but when we got there and saw that action was not taken immediately, I left in anger because we could be arrested. Atiku used to buy stolen laptops and phones from me.

Danladi Atiku (23)

I am from Kwara State. I work as a cleric. I teach the Quran to children. I used to smoke Indian hemp before going to teach Quran because it helps me understand it well. Anytime I wanted to give lecture anywhere, I would smoke hemp and lick Tom Tom, and my performance used to be outstanding. I just got a scholarship to Saudi Arabia because of that.

I knew James was into robbery and he used to bring stolen phones and laptops to me. I used to help him take them to Computer Village at Ikeja to sell them at good prices. I had to do it because we were not treated well by our Islamic heads at Quranic school and I needed to survive.

Jamiu Rahman (41)
I am from Abeokuta, Ogun State. I am a taxi driver. I was arrested because I bought a stolen vehicle and also helped in getting bullets for James. I knew one boy called Alausa. I knew him at Ijaye, Abeokuta. He was the one who directed James to me when he brought the Volkwagen Golf. I gave N80,000 and Alausa N20,000. I sold the car for N150,000. Alausa came to me again that James needed cartridges so I got in touch with one Raji who helped me get the bullets from those selling them.

Commenting on the arrest of the suspects, the Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, Mr Ikemefuna Okoye  commended the SARS operatives and their leader for a job well done, while he charged members of the public to always appreciate the police and collaborate with them in order to ensure safety of lives and property of the citizenry.

How we robbed our victims — Robbery suspects