By ALBERT AKPOR

Suspect Kenny Torbo after the fatal landing.

AT the corridor of the Apapa Divisional Headquarters, Lagos Kenny Torbo, a 35- year-old self-acclaimed professional boat driver lay flat on his back while narrating the story of his life and of course, how he got involved in armed robbery.

Even as he was visibly writhing in pains, his voice was strong and he was straight to the point while admitting culpability of the crime he was being held for. The Bayelsa state born father of one saw no reason denying the fact that he actually went to rob even when his colleagues -in -crime, Messrs James Bassey and menoudji Paul, a Beninoise flatly denied the allegation. But he was however, quick to add that he took to robbery to make ends meet insisting that he was lured into the crime by his friends as the fastest means of making money. According to him, “Oga let me tell you the truth, because e don happen, e don happen. This two guys, (points to Paul and James) are my friends, they used to come and meet me at the Apapa wharf where I drive a tug boat; I am a professional boat driver.

They sold the idea to me that there is one whitee (referring to a foreigner) in Flour Mills estate that we should go and rob and that after the robbery, we would have made so much money. So that night, we set off for the deal. Before God and man, we did not carry gun; but we were armed with wire cutter and cutlasses. Even the knife we later carried was found in the kitchen of our victims. We gained entry into the premises having scaled the fence. Later we cut opened the burglary proof and entered through the kitchen and started carting away some valuables; including laptops.

In the process a little child started crying and the father went into the room and saw me. So I told him to go and get money or I will kill the child. The man, I mean the Whitee now called his wife that some people are in the house and they are threatening to kill their child if they do not bring money. So the wife came, saw us and went inside. But instead of bringing money she went and released their dog on us and we ran helter-skelter because was barking and attacking us. As I tried to jump over the fence, I landed on my back and because I have been suffering from serious and persistent waist pains which doctors described as lumbago, I could not stand up to run. Meanwhile, my friends successfully escaped while the police came and arrested me.

When they, the police asked me to stand up I told them that I could not because I had broken my spinal cord. If not I could have escaped as well. It was my confessional statement that led to the arrest of James and Paul.” he said.

But both James and Paul insisted that they were innocent of the robbery allegation saying, they never knew Kenny until they met him in the police cell.

Said Paul the Beninoise who claimed to be a cook to another foreigner at the adjoining compound: “I just came back from my country, Benin Republic where I had gone to partake in the burial of an uncle. So, on Friday I resumed work as a cook and at about 5.00pm I closed for work and left for home because I lived with my family in Otta, Ogun state.

I was shocked when I came to work the following day, some security men from Flour Mills came and said I was wanted in their office. I followed them because I had no skeleton in my cupboard. It was later when they drove to the police station that I met the man on the floor who claimed to be Kenny and my friend altogether. I have never robbed in my life. If the police is in doubt they should go and ask the man I work for as a cook and even my landlord.”

But if Paul is claiming that he neither knew James nor anything about the robbery, James stated the contrary; admitting that they were all friends but denied involvement in the robbery operation. “I do not know anything about the robbery, but I cannot deny knowing Kenny. He is our friend and we used to do deals at Apapa wharf together. In short, we were what they call ‘ wharf rats.’ But that I knew something about the this robbery is sheer blackmail.”

Police react.

The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Apapa Division, Mohammed Ali told Crime Alert that, “Messrs Kenny, James and Paul on the night of February 19, 2011 at about 1.30am stormed Flour Mills estate Apapa and attempted to rob a foreigner (names withheld). He said they actually succeeded in their operation but luck ran out on Kenneth after he leaped over a fence and landed on his back while others escaped. When it was discovered that he could not stand to run having jumped over the wall that the team of anti- robbery who was responding to the distress met him on the ground and arrested him. His confessional statement led to the arrest of his accomplices.”