Posted by By OLUWATOYOSI OGUNSEYE on
A staffer of a company recently played the role of Judas Iscariot, when he sold out his employers to a gang of armed robbers.
A staffer of a company recently played the role of Judas Iscariot, when he sold out his employers to a gang of armed robbers. Ismail Shorunmu, who worked for Proclein Industries Ltd, in the Ogba area of Lagos, allegedly connived with a security man and an ex-staffer of the company to rob the firm penultimate Sunday. The six-man gang had stormed the company and were loading cartons of tiles into a lorry marked no XA 119 AAA when they were intercepted by the police.
A source at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), where the case is being investigated, said: 'Shorumu, the security man, Francis and Tajudeen Olalekan, who was a former staffer of the firm, planned the robbery. They were able to enter the company because Shorumu and Francis were on duty. Immediately they entered, Tajudeen was using the forklift to transport the tiles into the lorry, while other members of the gang were using their hands. While they were at it, we got the information and went for their arrest.
We got four of them while others are at large." Shorunmu, 32, disclosed to Daily Sun that Tajudeen approached him about the deal. He said: 'I have always known Tajudeen because we used to work together, while he was still a staffer. Even after he left, we remained good friends. One day, he came to see me after I had closed and told me that he had a business for me. He said that he had some boys and a lorry that were going to pack the tiles. He promised to give me a good percentage after he had sold the tiles. He assured me that if I co-operated with him nobody would know about it. We decided that if the deal was to be successful, we had to get the support of at least one security man who was going to be on duty. That was how we got Francis, who was also on duty. When Tajudeen arrived on Sunday, he came with four boys and a lorry. I assisted them to carry some of the tiles into the lorry while Tajudeen picked them with a forklift."
One of the boys, who allegedly followed Tajudeen to the company, Aroh Jimoh, said that he met Tajudeen at his friend's place. He said: 'I met him at Oregun through his friend, who is a vulcanizer. I am a labourer. I was talking to the vulcanizer, whose shop is close to where I was working, when Tajudeen came in. After Tajudeen left, his friend told me that they needed my help and that I would be paid N2,000. They did not give me the details of the job.
I did not even know that they were going to use me to steal. Tajudeen came to Oregun to call me and other labourers on Saturday. He showed us the way bill and said that he had paid for the tiles but we could not go on Saturday because it was late. He came back for us on Sunday and we went to the company on a bike. It was when we got there that I saw the lorry and Tajudeen said that he hired it to carry the goods. There was a driver in the lorry, and he came down to join us to carry the tiles. I did not suspect anything because, the security man opened the gate without asking us questions."
Adejumobi Ismaila, who was also arrested, said that he met Tajudeen at the vulcanizer's shop. He said: 'I was fixing the deflated tire of my motorcycle when the vulcanizer asked me if I was willing to load some tiles into a lorry for N2,000. I decided to go because I saw it as a good opportunity to make some money since I was broke. I later made up my mind to follow them, since Jimoh, who is my friend was also going. We had just started carrying the tiles when Tajudeen said that we should run because the white men in charge of the company were coming. I was wondering why I should run because he had earlier told us that it was a legitimate business. Tajudeen, Francis and the driver ran away. I did not bother to run and was arrested on the spot."
The fourth suspect, Williams Taiwo, also said he met Tajudeen at the vulcanizer's place. Williams, 24, who allegedly got shot when he was trying to escape said : 'I ride okada but I used to be a labourer. I went to visit my friends and we were hanging out when I learnt about the job. Which young guy, of my age, who is hustling, would not jump at such an opportunity? See where it has landed me. I was still carrying the tiles when I saw policemen."