The Lagos State Police Command has smashed a syndicate that specialized in attacking residents of Sangotedo in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State, arresting three suspected members.
The suspects: Bernard Anthony,30; Desmond Igbana,27 and Samuel Peter,24, as alleged, would invade residents’ apartments at night, dispossessing them of cash, telephones, and other valuables. They also went for posh cars parked in victims’ compounds.
When reports of their escapades reached the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, CP Abiodun Alabi, he directed the Command’s Special Squad to go on the gang’s trail.
Surprisingly, one of the suspects, Igbana Desmond, was discovered to be an Uber operator, alleged to go about his Uber services in the daytime and drive the gang for operation at night.
In an interview with the suspects who were paraded recently, they opened up on their respective roles during the operation.
According to Igbana Desmond, “ I am the gang’s driver. I only drove them to the victims’ houses and waited in the car. We are a four-member gang. Other members would scale through the fence during the operation. We normally operate in estates where there are no guards”.
The 27-year-old School Certificate holder continued: “ I joined the gang last November. I didn’t know them before. They hired my services as an Uber driver. When we got to the destination they directed me to, they told me to wait. I felt something was not right with their actions. When they got back they paid me N100,00 and asked if I was interested. So far, I have driven them to four operations.”
“So far, we have stolen four cars. Three were parked somewhere while one was recovered from a buyer”
“At the end of each operation, I would take them to a hotel in Sangotedo, while I would return home to my family in Ibeju Lekki. We don’t stay in a particular hotel, we move from one hotel to another.”
On his part, Bernard Anthony, an automobile technician, was alleged to be responsible for disconnecting tracking devices installed in stolen vehicles.
The Edo State-born suspect however denied joining the gang for operation, rather m, he said, “ they called me that their vehicle had stopped moving and they told me to help them remove the tracking device of the Toyota Corolla. I was paid N5000 for the service.
The third suspect, Samuel Peter, was alleged to be the gang’s account provider. But he told Crime Guard that he was only a victim of circumstance, stating that “ My elder brother Desmond, paid N1.1 million into my account. He didn’t tell me what the money was for. He sent me to go and withdraw the money. I didn’t take part in any operation nor did I know what he was into”
@ Vanguard Newspaper
