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But for his bravery, Bunmi Odeyemi, a 24-year old, who assists his brother to manage wholesale phone shop in Abeokuta.....
But for his bravery, Bunmi Odeyemi, a 24-year old, who assists his brother to manage wholesale phone shop in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, would have lost N20,000 to suspected armed robbers. It was an operation allegedly planned by three suspects identified as Ibrahim, Wale and Mathew. However, Wale and Mathew were said to have executed it. The suspects, allegedly armed with iron rod which they claimed was a pistol, had arrived the victim's shop July 3 on a chartered motorbike operated by one Leke Sonala.
The Okada was, it was learnt, on standby when the duo of Wale and Mathew entered theshop and threatened Bunmi to part with the money or lose his life. But a smart Bunmi, allegedly noticing that what they were carrying was mere iron rod rather than a pistol, grabbed it and a struggle ensued.
In the process, the victim shouted for help, thus attracting passersby and forcing the suspects to flee. In their flight, they left behind a Nokia 3210 handset.
Wale could not be caught, but luck ran out on Mathew. During the search party embarked upon by policemen from Enugada Police Post and sympathizers, Mathew was caught in hiding. A man who promised to give him protection gave him away. In the melee, the operator of the chartered motorbike ran after his clients. But before he returned, his motorcycle had been taken to the police station. And, as he was returning, he was grabbed by the victim who was assisted by a mob to beat him mercilessly.
Now, Mathew and Leke are guests of Adatan Police Station in Abeokuta while the two other principal suspects are now at large.
Mathew, 29, a native of Ilisan Remo, Ogun State is an Ordinary National Diploma, OND (Electrical/ Electronics Engineering) holder. He graduated from Lagos State Polytechnic. Ever since 1999 when he completed his programme, he said he had been taking photographs at Ojere market in Abeokuta and started a barbing salon in 2003. In 2006, he changed trade when he could not pay the monthly rent. He started repairing handsets, and working in a barbing salon on salary. But the drive to better his lot, according to him, influenced his joining Wale and Ibrahim in the alleged robbery bid.
His words:: 'There was a boy called Ibrahim, he came to my house to see Wale who is my neighbour. They were discussing downstairs while I was upstairs relaxing. After their discussion, Ibrahim left and Wale came to meet me. Wale told me that Ibrahim discussed with him that somebody owed him N20,000 and promised that if he (Wale) was able to collect the money from that person, he would give us N10,000. I thought if we got that N10,000, we would be able to start a trade. That was how we went to the business centre at Enugada.
'When we got to Enugada, Ibrahim said we should get a bike after handing to me an iron rod. He described the place to us while I and Wale took a bike that we were going to Oke Sokori, Abeokuta.
Ibrahim followed us on another bike. Along the way, we asked the okadaman to stop at that business centre, that we wanted to buy recharge card. So, on getting inside, Ibrahim signalled to us that the owner of the shop was not there but that we could deal with the small boy.
'It was Wale that Ibrahim gave the iron to, to scare the boy, but I collected it from him. I told the boy that we needed the N20,000 his boss was owing Ibrahim. I scared the boy with the iron and told him that he should cooperate with us. The boy now grabbed the iron from me and started shouting thief!
'Following the shout, we decided to run and I was later caught and brought to the station.
To God who made me, I have not done it before."
Leke, 22, trained as a tailor but ventured into okada riding. For over a year, he had been in the business until July 3 when the two passengers he carried turned his greatest undoing. He told Sunday Vanguard that he was at Enugada roundabout going to Itoko road when Wale and Mathew stopped him and asked him to take them to Oke Sokori. 'I charged them N40 per person which they agreed to and I carried them. But as we moved few metres away, they asked me to stop, saying they wanted to buy recharge card. They entered a shop and I parked my bike waiting for them. Later, I heard somebody shouting thief, thief and they ran out of the shop to one corner. I ran after them with some people but when I came out with those people, the owner of the shop started beating me and I tried to explain my position to them that I didn't know anything about the matter. Right there, I started calling my family members who came to meet me. While this was going on, some people came to say that they had caught one of the boys. I followed them so that I could collect my bike, that was how I was detained."
Bunmi assists his brother, Olusegun Odeyemi, to manage his shop located at No 1Onabiyi St., Enugada area of Abeokuta. He was the alleged victim of the suspected robbers. In his statement to the police, the victim narrated his encounter thus: 'On Monday 3, July, 2006 at about 5.46pm, I was in my brother's shop when three boys came on okada and two of them came in while the third stayed outside. The two of them that came in told me that they wanted an MTN recharge card and I told them that we don't sell pieces but in bulk. But, before I knew what was happening, one of them just brought out a gun and asked me to cooperate with them, that if I didn't, I could lose my life. However, to God be the glory, I had the courage to struggle with them and shouted thieves.
'There and then, people came to my aid and helped me to pursue them. We immediately got the okada man and ran fast to get others. We caught one while another escaped. It was through the help of the people and the police that we pursued them. While pursing them, I closed my shop and, in the process, somebody told me that he saw where one ran to and that he had changed his dress. The people around traced him and the police arrested him and took him and the one that operated the okada to Enugada police post at about 6pm.
'On that day, during the struggle, they tore my shirt. They did not succeed in taking anything away from my shop. They left a Nokia 3210 with an MTN line. When the whole incident was going on, the Okada was outside. Later, I asked the police to take the Okada to Enugada police post. Few minutes later, I saw the Okada man coming out of where the robbers ran into, I couldn't even recognized him but one of my neighbours said this is the boy that brought them. I immediately moved closer to him and held him."
Sergeant Sunday Ibe is the investigating police officer, IPO, of the case. He stated that the boys had only one mission at the shop- to rob. He gave an insight into how the alleged gang operated: 'Ibrahim and Wale were discussing on how to go out for an operation to get recharge cards from a store where they sell in bulk and get money. While they were discussing, he (Mathew) was upstairs and overheard them. When Ibrahim left, Mathew went to meet Wale where he was relaxing. He told Wale that he overheard what he was discussing with his friend and that he was interested in the operation. Wale said he would discuss with Ibrahim who brought the information.
'On the day of operation, Wale called Mathew around 4pm that Ibrahim had called that they should come to Totoro Sokori area. The two of them met Ibrahim there and he took them to a beer parlour. He bought three bottles of Star Beer, they drank and then planned that (Mathew) and Wale would enter the store and carry out the operation while Ibrahim would just point the place to them because he (Ibrahim) was a customer of that shop. That was what he, Mathew, told me.
'They now boarded a taxi from there, Ibrahim pointed to the shop and brought out an iron rod, gave it to Wale and Mathew collected it from Wale. When they dropped from the taxi, Ibrahim went his way while Wale and Mathew stopped an okada man and told the okadaman to take them to Totoro. The okada operator charged them N40 per person. On getting to where the shop is, they asked him to stop, that they wanted to buy recharge card. That was how two of them went in while the okada man was waiting for them to come out. Along the line, the guy they met in the shop summoned courage and held the iron rod Mathew was carrying.
During the struggle that ensued, the boy was shouting thieves and the two of them ran away. When he (Mathew) ran, he didn't know where to go to. He ran to a place and told a man that people were pursuing him and that the man should help him. The man said okay, he should stay there. But later, the man handed him over to a man that traced him to that place, saying it was his brother's shop that they went to rob. That was how they dragged him to the police station.
'He never told me anything about anybody owing him, what he is telling you is a different matter. It is not the issue of going to recover debt. They went there to carry out an operation, to collect money and recharge cards, t hat was the issue, not owing."
Superintendent Olumese Valentine is the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, of Adatan, the station that made the arrest and investigating the case. He gave account of how the incident happened. He said: 'It was last week when somebody who operates a business centre that engages in the selling of recharge cards and phones raised an alarm that there were some hoodlums in his shop. In fact, he held on to one of them who pointed an iron rod that looked like a locally-made- pistol at him.
The boy suspected that the iron was not a gun and that is why he was bold enough to hold him. Fortunately, the shop was very close to our police post at Enugada, Abeokuta. Before policemen and other sympathizers could rush to the scene of the incident, the suspects had run away. But they were pursued and one of them was arrested. There was an okadaman that brought them. According to the Okada rider, the boys only told him that they wanted to buy recharge cards. The two of them entered the shop while he was waiting for them outside. We apprehended the man who held the iron rod while the man who was waiting by the door escaped, the okada rider who was waiting was also arrested. We are looking for Ibrahim and Wale now."
The Adatan DPO told Sunday Vanguard that since the boys were arrested July 3, nobody had come to see them, noting: 'But we have traced Ibrahim to the place where they met and organized this crime. So, we have been there and the girl we met said Ibrahim was only approaching her for friendship, but since that incident, she had not seen him."
Olumese told our reporter that the suspects would soon be charged to court. 'No family members of the suspects has come forward and we don't even expect them. Since they have been caught for a crime, nobody will show up for criminals," he pointed out.
He said his station experienced similar incidents in the past. He, however, noted that his men had succeeded in curtailing the activities of criminals in the area. 'There was a time a similar incident happened though the robber did not confront the owner of the property. All that happened was that it was a one man squad.. He broke into the house with a big stone, then broke the wall, entered the sitting room, climbed the ceiling, moved from one bedroom to the other searching for materials. He succeeded in carting away some valuable items. Then, my men were on patrol at Chartered Bank, the stone this boy used in breaking the house, he hid it under his shirt. On mere suspicion, he was intercepted and asked what he was doing with this stone. He said he was going to use it to support his kiosk. When he was asked to take the men on patrol to his kiosk, he started giving excuses. Then we took him to our station. While we were interrogating him, a woman came in to lodge a complaint. Behold the shirt that the boy was wearing and wrist watch belonged to the husband of that woman. So, he was charged to court, pleaded guilty and was sentenced".
Olumese charged members of the public to be watchful and suspicious of any odd movement, saying people should be bold enough to raise alarm when noticing strange movements.
He told Sunday Vanguard that from their investigation, the July 3 incident was not Wale, Mathew and Ibrahim's first time. 'What we are doing is to investigate where and when they have carried out other operations and who are their receivers of the stolen items," he stated.