For some time now, traders at the popular Mushin market in Lagos state
have suffered untold pains ät the hands of burglars who broke into their shops
at ungodly hours, carted away cash in the shops and goods worth several
millions of naira.
Crime Alert gathered that these burglars usually visited with trucks
used in loading the stolen goods which were sold at give away prices to ready
buyers. The goods which ranged from household appliances, clothings, foot wears
and baby range of products are usually taken as far as Onitsha market, Anambra
state and the popular Aba market in Abia State. By Evelyn Usman TRADERS
complain Worried by the spate of these attacks, the traders lodged complaints
to the Police at Mushin, consequent upon which strategic measures were put in
place to curb the alarming menace. The strategy paid off following the arrest
of three suspected members of one of the robbery gangs that specialized in the
act. They were arrested while trying to break into one of the shops last week.
No regrets: When approached, one of the suspects who identified himself as
Ifeanyi Okolie, showed no sign of remorse. He blamed his indulgence on what he
described as ‘the harsh economic situation in Nigeria’. Okolie, was paraded at
the Lagos State Police headquarters alongside other 45 robbery suspects that
have been terrorizing the state. According to him, members of his gang usually
retired to hotels at the end of any successful operation where the loot is
squandered on commercial sex workers and expensive clothes. He told Crime Alert
that robbers usually settled for commercial sex workers in order to avoid
selling out their true identities.
How I was lured into robbery His
words: “My friend, Chukwuemeka lured me into robbery. I saw him dolling out
money to some friends at a beer parlour last year. We all call him big boy
because he could pay as much as N30, 000 to N50, 000 for drinks at a sitting.
When I went to him to show me the
way, he told me what he was into but said he had never killed anybody. I
decided to join him because of hardship. Harsh condition If not for the harsh
condition, I would not be standing here today.
I want the Federal Government to
come to the aid of idle youths by providing us work to do to earn a living just
as it is being done elsewhere in the world. We go for cash only: “If I can get
something to keep me busy, I won’t go into robbery. The first time I went with
them, we burgled a tile’s shop. We do not steal goods because one will easily
be arrested. What we do is to go for the cash. Traders usually keep cash in
their shops. They have an inbuilt safe in their shop where they keep money. At
the end of the first operation, three of us got N550, 000 each. The gang leader
got the largest share. Out of my share, I bought a fairly used car for N200,
000. I bought some new clothes and kept the rest at Motilado hotel in Isolo,”
he stated.
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