By Ifeanyi Okolie
Residents of Alimosho area of Lagos State will now have to sleep with their eyes closed following the arrest of three members of a notorious gang of buglers who have been terrorizing homes and shops in the area for a long time.

This is because the 31 year-old leader of the gang, Tony Emobowasa,  is currently cooling off at the dreaded cell of Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS,  after he was caught and mobbed by angry residents and he confessed that he has made several millions from the illicit trade but which he lavished on expensive cars and women.

*Tony and his gang

But the other suspects, Yusuf Yisa, and Yusuf Mohammed, told Crime Guard that they were new recruits in the trade, and were yet to make enough money as Emobowasa.  Crime Guard gathered that  Emobowasa, who was earlier arrested  and charged to court four weeks ago, returned to crime  after he regained freedom and was caught by a vigilante  group.

Sources said he ran out of luck when he and members of his gang attacked some shops at Gowon Estate area of the state. They were  apprehended while loading their loots into a Lagos coloured commercial bus. A source at the SARS where the suspects were transferred to after their arrest, said “sometime last year, we received several reports of the gang’s escapades and  we made several efforts to arrest them.

We learnt of their activities within Iyana Ipaja area of the state. After some serious search, we were able to arrest Emobowasa, the gang leader and  he was charged to court thereafter. But he got bail and regained freedom in the court.

But we  were still on his trail properly when we got another report that he had been caught again for the same crime.  This time, he and two other members of his gang were apprehended in Gowon State area where they burgled some shops and looted what were in it.

They were arrested by an angry mob  that unleashed terror on them. They were then taken to Gowon Estate police Station before they were transferred here.   But the most facilitating aspect of this issue is that Emobowasa case is still on in court and last Monday was his date of hearing.

But he defiled all this and went back to his crime. We were able to contact those who had fallen victim to his prey and we are going to build a strong case against him,”  said the source.

When  Crime Guard interviewed the suspects at SARS Headquaters, Ikeja, Lagos, Emobowasa  and his colleagues confessed to the crime but they begged for forgiveness.  The fair skinned leader of the gang said, “   I don’t know what is pushing me into this act.

I don’t know if it is the devil or my love for money.   I have made several millions from this business since I started three years ago.  I’ve built a house with the money I made and I drive exotic cars.  But I can’t really tell what may have been pushing me into it.

Sincerely, I was arrested last month and was charged to court where I was granted bail. But when I came out, I realized that I need more money to complete my building at Alimosho area, which I intend to use as hotel. I organized my boys and we went to burgle some shops at Gowon Estate. There I was arrested by a vigilant group which dealt with me and members of my gang.