I JOINED ROBBERY TO RAISE MONEY FOR MY GIRLFRIEND'S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION - SUSPECT

From Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja

An armed robbery suspect, Yakubu Usman, has lamented that inordinate lust pushed him to join an armed robbery gang, with the intention of raising money to organise a birthday bash for his girlfriend.

Usman, who was one of the five armed robbery suspects arrested recently by the Kogi State Police Command, said in order to prove that he truly loved his girlfriend, he had no option but to join a robbery
syndicate that specialised in robbing banks.
“I was actually pushed to join this deadly gang because of Salamatu, my girlfriend, who is marking her birthday later this month. I wanted to use part of the proceeds to organise a one-in-town birthday bash for her, simply because I wanted to impress her that I am a big boy.

“ You see, I am from a poor home, but I think I could use robbery to cover up my poverty. So, I tried to impress this babe, who actually felt I was one of the big boys in town.
“But, I feel sorry for myself now, that I allowed her lust to bring me to this mess. I now know that life itself has no meaning for a person behind the bars,” he said in tears.
Parading the suspects, the state police commissioner, Emmanuel Ojukwu, said the suspect was only trying to shed crocodile tears, stressing that he was a hardened criminal, who belonged to a gang that specialised in robbing banks. He said that the gang might have been responsible for series of bank robberies in the state.
The CP said on October 6, 2015, he gathered through credible intelligence that a gang of notorious armed robbers were planning to attack a bank in Ayingba and its environs.
He said based on a tip-off, operatives of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) in the state led by their commander, Ayeni Oluwadare, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), immediately swung into action and invaded their hideout.
He said five of the suspects were arrested while one Emmanuel Ometa, the gang leader, escaped with an AK 47 rifle. He gave the names of those arrested as James Adaje, Godwin Ekeji, Yakubu Usman, Musa Dalisu and Monday Adejoh.
Items recovered included one locally made barreta pistol, one axe, cutlass, some quantity of weeds suspected to be Indian hemp, 11 Sim cards, among others.
In a related development the Police Commissioner also paraded 23 other suspects arrested for armed robbery, illegal gun manufacturing and political thuggery at Ejule, Ofu Local Government Area of the state.
He said six guns, including AK47 rifle, locally made guns, bullet proof vests, charms, ammunitions, weeds suspected to be Indian hemp and a Ford Galaxy bus with registration number Oyo AH 5095 HK were recovered from the hoodlums.
The CP said that all the suspects would be charged to court as soon as the police complete their investigations.