Joy Anyim
A tricyclist arrested by the operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command for using his tricycle to rob a television presenter has disclosed that he was paid N8,000 for every robbery operation he participated in with the gang.
The suspect, Timileyin Adebayo, 23, in company of three other suspects, now on the run, had, on July 12, 2019, while pretending to be passengers in tricycle, popularly called ‘keke Napep’, used knives and cutlass to dispossess a lady of her belongings.
In his confession to the police, Adebayo stated that other members of his gang included: Olabanji, Ahmed and Lekan.
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He said, “The operation was my fifth robbery with the gang. I joined them this July and for each of the operation, they gave me N8,000:00 only.
“No matter what we made, that is what they gave me. May be, because I just joined the gang.
“They don’t treat me as one of them at all. I was asked to join the gang by one of them after one of their gang members pulled out.
“They had been operating for a long time before I joined them. I was a bus conductor. I had no job. They promised to assist me and that was when they invited me to join the gang.
“We rob between Coca Cola, Ikeja to Ogba. We use two knives and a short cutlass. I collect phones and belongings of our victims.”
According to the television presenter, who did not want her name in prints, she had boarded the keke from Coca-Cola Bus-Stop going to Ogba at about 10:30 p.m.
She said, “Around past 10:00 p.m. I was standing at Coca Cola Bus Stop, Ikeja, when their ‘Keke’ came. I boarded it hoping to drop at Ogba.
“They were all men. I didn’t suspect anything because there were other ‘Keke’ there.
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“I noticed that as soon as the driver linked Wempco Road, the two passengers at the back and the one sitting down in front brought out knives and cutlass and threatened to kill me if I did not cooperate with them.
“They collected my two phones, my handbag, jewelry and some money, I can’t even recollect how much it was. They then pushed me out of the ‘keke’ while on speed.”
“I was struggling to get up to avoid oncoming vehicles from hitting me, one bike man assisted me and we were on their tail.
“We caught up with them in Akilo Road, and unfortunately for us, they used their ‘keke’ to hit us.
“This was the point RRS patrol team saw us and chased the robbers. They abandoned their ‘keke’ and fled in different directions but they got that one (pointing to the suspect).”
Recovered from the robbers were a tricycle and a dagger.
Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Zubairu Muazu, in his reaction to the development, directed the transfer of the case to State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) and ordered immediate arrest of other members of gang.