By VICTOR APKA- FRESH

Four members of a notorious armed robbery gang who specialized in snatching motor-bikes popularly called Okada from their owners are currently telling the police the story of their lives and their involvement in the devilish way of eking a living.

Reports say the gang had operated in Ketu/ Alapere for several years without being caught. But like the age long aphorism which says, ‘everyday is for the thief, one day for the owner’, four of them were recently rounded up at a relaxation spot while sharing their loot, after a successful operation.

Date was June1, 2011 and time was about 2.45pm. According to eyewitnesses, the Okada robbers met their waterloo in their hideout near a worship centre following a tip -off on their whereabout. It was said that a vigilante group keeping watch over the area was chasing the kingpin of the gang identified simply  as Michael , who attempted to remove a motorbike parked in front of a residential area. The dare-devil however, succeeded in escaping but was later trailed and apprehended.

•The suspects

The suspects who were paraded before newsmen, gave their names as; Seyi John, 20, Wasiu Adeyemi, 19, a secondary school leaver from Ajayi Crowther Secondary school, Ibrahim Buhari, 20, and Michael Gbadamosi, 20, an aluminum fabricator.

They confessed to belong to the same gang, revealing that they started operating seven years ago in the area. When a search was conducted in their hideout, one locally- made pistol cut to size and five live cartridges were recovered.

Parading the suspects, Police Public Relations Officer, Samuel Jinadu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said the suspects had been in the business of snatching motor cycles from their owners for many years and have been operating from their base in Ogijo, Ogun state, adding that they had been on the Police wanted list for some time.

According to him, “when the suspects were rounded up, a call was put through to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Alapere Division, Superintendent of Police (SP) Okosun Anthony Odion and he immediately raced to the scene where the suspects were handed over to him. The suspects who saw no need lying, confessed that what they normally did after their operation was to sell the Okadas at give -away price to ready buyers. They gave the name of one of their criminal receivers as Jaiyesimi who they claimed resides in Ogijo town, Ogun state.

One of them who identified himself as Seyi John, in his confession, said “sometimes when we come back from operation,  we would share a token  sum of ten thousand Naira and sometimes five thousand, depending on the outcome of the operation”.

Another member of the gang, Michael Gbadamosi, blamed poverty for his involvement in the criminal act. He claimed to have lost his father at a tender age and does not know the whereabout of his mother. According to him, he had to join the notorious gang as a last resort to eke a living. Michael who until his arrest lives with his unnamed friend  in Ogijo, exonerated his friend from the crime, saying he was unaware of his nefarious activities. He however, expressed disappointment over what he described as disgrace brought to his unnamed friend , pleading to be forgiven.

The suspects as informed as Jinadu, would be charged to court.