Greed, impatience made me go into robbery – suspect

By Ifeanyi Okolie

For Emmanuel Obasi, his decision to join a notorious robbery gang that operate within Maza-Maza and it’s environ in Lagos State, may not have been the best for him, following his recent arrest.  The 28-year-old man who is now a guest at the State Special Anti-Robbery-Squad, SARS, is currently bemoaning the decision which almost cost him his life.

He met his waterloo when he and three other members of his gang stormed Victory Estate at Iba Town, Lagos, to unleash terror on the residents.   They, however, ran out of luck when they entered the home of a man said to be a victim of multiple robbery simply identified as Charles.

*The suspect Obasi

Crime Alert gathered that Charles, a businessman at the popular Trade fair complex,  resides with two of his cousins in his two bed room apartment and following the incessant robbery activities in  the estate, he armed himself with some light weapons, like machete, axe and bar to enable him fend off further attack by armed robbers.  However, unknown to Obasi and other members of his gang who chose to raid Charlse home before others, they were in for a shock of their life.

Police sources intimated Crime Alert that the moment the bandits tried to force their way into Charles’s apartment, he and his cousins were alerted and they stood at strategic locations waiting for them.   Obasi who was armed with a locally-made gun cut to size rushed into the apartment, but he was gripped from behind by one of Charle’s cousins, who swiftly threw him to the ground forcing him to lose hold of his gun.  That singular move terrified other members of his gang who took to their heels.  The source added that Charles went after them and in their bid to escape, one of the robbers dropped another gun.

“Charles and his brave cousins tied up the bandit and alerted a vigilant group in the area and by dawn, the vigilante group handed over the bandit to the police with the two locally-made guns and two cartridges recovered from the bandit.   We interrogated him and he confessed that he and other members of his gang who he identified as Ndubisi, Uche and Oke, have been terrorizing inhabitants of that Estate for a long time.   He also confessed that his gang had carried out robbery operations at Mile 2, Festac and Maza-Maza areas of the state,” the source stated.

When Crime Alert interacted with the suspect, Obasi, he hinged his involvement in robbery on greed and impatience, asking for a second chance.    According to him; “I came to Lagos last year and I reside at Okokomaiko, I work at Maza-Maza Bus Park as Agbero and I have been struggling for a long time without making enough money.

I was no longer comfortable with my statues so, I joined the robbery gang.   Ndubisi is the leader of our gang and I met him at Maza-Maza where I work.  He usually buy drinks and food. And he promised to get me a better job.  One day, he said he was going to introduce me to some of his friends and they would  tell me the kind of job he has for me.

When  I met him and his friends at a hotel in Maza-Maza, he told me they were into armed robbery and they wanted me to be part of them.    Initially, I was scarred when he told me they were into robbery but one of them, Uche, told me not to be that he can prepare a charm for me that could prevent my getting arrested.

So, my mind got settled and I accepted to join them.   Our first robbery was at Okota, we robbed a man in a car wash stand of his N200, 000.   It was Ndubisi  who told us to rob the man.   We were successful and I got N60, 000 as my share.

We also had series of other successful robberies at Maza-Maza, Mile 2, Festac Town  areas, but the one at  Victory Estate at Iba Town, gave me out.   When we stormed the area, our plan was to rob from house to house.  We got to a two-storey building and we decided to start from the ground floor.

Those people didn’t lock their outside burglary door, so we got easy entry. But when we tried to enter into the apartment, I didn’t know that the inhabitants were waiting for us, the moment I got in, someone gripped me from behind and wrestled with me.   When Ndubisi and others saw this, they took to their heels abandoning the gun they were holding.
The boys tied me up and handed me over to some vigilante men  who  handed me over to the police.  I regret my decision of joining this gang.  I didn’t know it was going to end up this way.   I made little money working at Maza-Maza as a loader, its greed and impatience that got me into this mess,” he lamented.