I use explosives to catch fish – Suspected robber

A suspected bank robber, Aitlabor Gelebele, who was arrested with explosives by the Ogun State Police Command, has said he is not a bank robber but a fisherman.

He told journalists while being paraded that he used the explosives to kill large number of fish in the river and then sold them.

According to the police authorities, Gelebele and three others – Moses Demene, Friday Saborom and Mohammadu Kaidiri – were arrested while planning to rob a bank in the Ijebu Ode area of the state.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Finance and Administration, Celestine Okoye, said the suspected robbers were arrested last month with four explosive devices and connection wires.

He explained that bank robbers usually use explosive devices to blast bank security doors.

But Gelebele denied any knowledge of the robbery operation, explaining that the explosives were used for fishing in Delta State before Demene called him that he was ready to pay N150, 000 for the devices.

According to him, he agreed to sell the explosives because he needed money to take care of his pregnant wife.

He said, “I normally use the explosives for fishing by putting the explosives in the water and then connect them to wires.

“When the explosives go off, they shock the fish to death and I catch them.”

In his reaction, Demene who identified himself as the leader of the gang, said he was aware of a robbery plan on a bank in Ijebu Ode and had to call Gelebele who was in the possession of the explosives.

He said they were on their way to meet the leader of the gang after alighting from a bus from Delta State when a commercial motorcycle rider suspected them and invited the police.

The police boss, Okoye, said all the suspects were coming from Delta State to meet another leader of the gang simply identified as Wisdom who was planning a robbery operation.

The police boss explained that the case was still under investigation and the suspects would be charged to court at the appropriate time.

He said, “Information was received by policemen on patrol at Ayepe town that a gang had been seen with bags and on getting the information, they were intercepted by the team.

“When they were searched, four explosive devices with three connection wires were recovered from them. The suspects confessed that they were coming from Delta State to meet their gang leader named Wisdom in Ogun State, now at large, to rob.”

The police also paraded a member of a trans-border robbery syndicate, Atevonou Sesco, who was arrested after successfully snatching a Toyota Sequoia with number plate, EPE 956 DP, in Ilase, Idiroko area of the state.

Okoye explained that efforts to get the owner of the vehicle had yielded no result which gave the impression that the owner might have been killed in the operation.

I use explosives to catch fish – Suspected robber

Man spends 4yrs in prison over police failure to identify real culprit

After spending four years at the prison while facing an armed robbery trial, an accused, Tega Okokushe, has been discharged and acquitted by a Lagos High Court in Ikeja, for failure of the police to identify the real culprit.

The defendant was said to have been arrested by the Ojo police who accused him of having robbed one Chika Obi at his residence in Iba, dispossessing him of his laptop, phone and charger.

In her judgment, Justice Lateefat Okunnu said: “The information in proof of the evidence shows that there was armed robbery. What is to be focused and proved is whether the defendants before the court were among the gang that carried out the robbery.

The issue to also consider is whether there is an identification linked to the defendants.” According to her, the victim of the robbery (Obi) never identified the defendants as part of the robbery gang and he never appeared before the court, which makes his statement to the police not to suffice.   “Where the robber was not arrested at the scene of the crime, the prosecution should prove the identification of the defendants. I cannot accept the police officer’s mere say, given by Mr. Obi.

The 1st defendant has said he has never met Mr. Obi before. He said the statement was not written by him, that the police only asked of his name, address, occupation and religion. The defendants are educated.“The prosecution has not proved that the police caught the real culprit. Failure of Mr. Obi to appear before the court to testify damaged the prosecution. The defendants are hereby acquitted and discharged,” Justice Okunnu said.

 

Man spends 4yrs in prison over police failure to identify real culprit