By Evelyn Usman

A 41-year-old man who was arrested by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad, RRS, of the Lagos State Police Command, for allegedly stealing a phone and N600 from a commercial bus driver at Ojodu Berger area of Lagos, weekend, has blamed his indulgence on addiction to hard drugs.

It was gathered that the suspect, Emmanuel Oyewunmi, has been sent to prison seven times in the last four years over similar offences. He had just finished serving the third jail term this year alone.

It was learned that the suspect had been on the wanted list of the RRS for allegedly stealing a Samsung Galaxy S4, belonging to one Mrs Adesewa Oni, while he was working as a park keeper outside a shopping mall in Ikeja, Lagos.

She was said to have paid him N1,000 instead of the N200 normal fee. The suspect stole her phone when she drove with him to an ATM to withdraw the cash from which she paid him.

During interrogation, the suspect pleaded with operatives not to send him to jail for the eight time, blaming his indulgence on his addiction to drugs.

He said: “My addiction to drugs pushed me into this. As soon as I got the woman’s phone, I went to Ipodo in Ikeja to buy hard drugs.

“I sold the stolen phone to the drug dealer for N8,000. I used almost everything on drugs and even forgot to shave and cut my hair.

“My addiction to hard drugs has destroyed my life. My father disowned me because of it and my wife abandoned me too. I got hooked on drug while I was young and getting out of it has been extremely difficult for me.”

Vanguard gathered that some non-governmental organisations had rehabilitated him in the past, only for him to go back to drugs.