Security File with Enani Benson
Police Arrest OPC Member for Supplying Gun to Robber
*I gave him the gun not knowing he wanted to use it for robbery, says suspect
Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested a man who claimed to be a member of O’odua Peoples Congress (OPC), Jamiu Ishola. He was arrested for allegedly supplying guns to armed robbers who used them to attack innocent citizens.
The men of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) picked up Ishola last week in Atan area of Ogun State.
Lagos State Police Command Deputy Public Relations Officer (DPRO), Lelma Kolle, who confirmed the arrest to WESTERN POST, said Ishola was arrested on August 23, 2014 by SARS, Lagos State following the confession of an arrested robbery suspect who said he received his operational gun from him.
He disclosed that Ishola had two guns, which he claimed he was using for OPC activities.
However, it was alleged that he later started using the guns for highway robbery and that he often leased them to armed robbers.
The suspect has, however, denied participating in robbery, but admitted to WESTERN POST that he gave out a gun to somebody without knowing the person had the intention of using it for robbery.
Ishola, 46, who claimed to be a native of Aiyetoro in Ogun State, said he was an automobile mechanic, but later started driving commercial vehicles at Iyana-Ipaja Motor Park.
He said he was in that business for 10 years. The suspect who said he is married with three children said he was arrested in connection with the gun he acquired as an OPC member while working as a security man.
Ishola told WESTERN POST: “In 2006, I was a driver to somebody, but the vehicle was giving me problems. This was during the time Saka Saula was the Chairman of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW). So he told me to do security work. He made me an OPC member and I was given an identity card. They brought two guns for me and assigned me to two filling stations in Iyana-Ipaja to be guarding. The owner of the filling station is like a brother to Saka Saula. After Saula died, there was a change of government, so I left the job and relocated to Ogun State but did not return the guns. I took the guns to my house but did not rob with the guns. I am telling you the truth. Two of my friends, one is called Oba, came to me and demanded that I give them the guns I used while doing security job that they wanted to make use of them. I gave them only one of the guns.
“I did not know they have the intention of using it for robbery. They did not return the gun to me but claimed the gun was missing. Later the OPC people who gave me the guns asked me to return them along with my identity card issued to me. I returned only one with my ID card and told them the one was missing. I did not see the people I gave the gun to again until SARS came to arrest me. I did not know they were using it for robbery,”.
CULT MEMBERS CLASH IN IKORODU, ONE KILLED.
One person was feared killed and several others critically injured when suspected cult members clashed at the weekend in Ikorodu area of Lagos.
WESTERN POST gathered that the incident occurred at about 10 pm, on Saturday, when suspected cult members, led by one Conflict arrived Odonla Estate junction in Ikorodu armed with dangerous weapons.
Though, the reason for the invasion of the area could not be readily ascertained, however, sources said one Abiodun Ojo (35), who resides at Ogbogbo Street in Odonla Ikorodu, was allegedly murdered by the group led by Conflict.
Sources said after Ojo was murdered in cold blood, his corpse was deposited by the cult members inside a Mazda 626 saloon car marked KSF 189 CW.
But police officers led by Emmanuel Otuja, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), acting on a tip-off stormed the scene of the clash, where one Afolabi Lukman, who was critically injured was said to be bleeding and calling for help.
Speaking on the incident, Lelma Kolle, Deputy Police Public Relations officer in charge of Lagos State Command, told our correspondent that the corpse of Ojo after being photographed was deposited at the Ikorodu General Hospital for autopsy while Lukman who was critically injured is receiving treatment at an undisclosed private hospital in Lagos.
According to Kolle, the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Panti, Yaba for more discreet investigations.
A total of 123 expended cartridges and unregistered Bajaj motorcycles were some of the items recovered at the scene of the bloody clash.
SARS Picks up 2 Robbery Suspects in Lagos
The police in Lagos have arrested two suspects for armed robbery and snatching of vehicles in Lagos and Ogun states.
The suspects, Musbau Ayinde and Isiaka Afolabi, were arrested on August 18, 2014, at Ojuelegba area of Lagos by the operatives of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS).
Investigation revealed that the suspects who were said to have carried out series of armed robbery operations and car snatchings in the states were allegedly recruited by one Baba Ibeji whose other identities are yet unknown.
He was alleged to have procured arms and ammunition for the gangs to operate with.
“One Baba Ibeji bought guns for them and in the process of using the guns, the police arrested them,’’ said a source.
Ayinde, 25, claimed to be a generator repairer and resides at 2, Oko Baba Street, Oyingbo.
He also claimed to be a native of Kwara State, and has confessed to the alleged crime.
According to him, “it was one guy in our area called Baba Ibeji, we were working with him before now, who implicated me and made police to arrest me.
“We were doing robbery work for him about three years ago. He brought two guns for us. He is my boss. He had taken us to two places to snatch cars from their owners. The first time he took us to Ifo in Ogun State for operation and we snatched a Toyota Camry car from a pastor. The second one, we snatched an Acura Legend in the same Ogun State. He only paid us for the Camry, but for the Acura, he did not give us anything. This was what brought about our misunderstanding. And it was the misunderstanding that made him to give us out for arrest. He paid us only about N80,000.00 in the first operation. We were three that went for the operation; the third person was his friend.
“After the second robbery operation, his friend took the guns and disappeared. So we had a misunderstanding with Baba Ibeji and stopped working for him, but surprisingly after a long time, he called me on the phone. I don’t know how he got my new number, but I did not know he arranged for my arrest. He said he is still around in case there is any business. I told him I did not have any because I’m no longer into robbery business. One boy in our area called him, that boy told him that he has one car to offer him. I saw that boy in the cell here, and he has been arrested. He said that boy should meet me and find out the kind of person he is, that he is not a dubious person. So two people came to meet me that day, this was the beginning of my arrest’’.
Isiaka, 28, is from Offa in Kwara State, and a resident of 24, Jebba Street, Oyingbo. He recently got married and has a child. He corroborated the confessions of Ayinde.
He said he was arrested for armed robbery, adding that one of his friends, Musbau, invited him and told him to come and collect some money.
“I and Musbau were working for Baba Ibeji before. We only worked for him twice. He was the one who bought the guns for us. That was between 2004 and 2007. It was a long time. I am even tired of everything. As they removed the guns, I stopped robbery, ’’ he said.
Deputy Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Police Command, Lelma Kolle, confirmed the arrest of the suspect. He said efforts were on to arrest other members of the gang.
The Deputy Police image-maker said the suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigation is concluded.
TENSION IN EDO COMMUNITY OVER ANNUAL FESTIVAL
Tension is rising in Agenebode, the administrative headquarters of Etsako East Local Government Council of Edo State, as the people of Weppa, one of the clans that make up the Weppa Wanno kingdom, at the weekend declared that they were no longer part of the kingdom and want the state government to give them an autonomous identity.
This, they said, was due to the alleged undue interference in the performance of their customary festival by the Okumagbe of Weppa Wanno kingdom, Dr. George Egabor.
The fragile peace in the community occasioned by a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Weppa clan who are customarily the chief priests of the kingdom and the palace was said to have broken down last Thursday when some women from Weppa who were said to have gone to the Agenebode Market to perform certain annual ritual were allegedly “beaten, harassed and manhandled” by persons suspected to have been sent from the palace.
Efforts to reach the spokesperson of the palace, High Chief Pius Ozekhome, were unsuccessful, as his telephone line could not be reached.
But Egabor denied the allegation.
According to the royal father, “all they are alleging is balderdash, nobody was attacked, I am not a violent person. I am a man of peace whoever is doing that is playing to the gallery”.
But narrating the incident to newsmen, the chief priest of the kingdom, Chief Akhamiokhor Egiebade, said the chief priest of the kingdom normally emerges from three ruling houses, Agiere, Iviamadi and Otakwi, and he is saddled with the responsibility of fixing date for the annual festival (Ukpe) according to the customs and traditions of Weppa Wanno.
“August every year is our festival year since we migrated from Benin and after the festival, the woman needed to have their own title and after they take title, there is a final celebration when they have to go to the market.
“They came to Weppa here to celebrate their title, the next date, which is Thursday, they went to Agenebode Market to perform the same ceremony but we heard the rumour that the Okumagbe has said he would send people to attack the women and that they should not allow them to do their ceremony and when they got there, they were attacked with heavy weapon. Guns were shot and they stopped their ceremony and forcefully removed their beads, which they wore. Four of the women were wounded.’’
