Police Arrest Four Chadians for Robbery, Recover Rifles

By Chiemelie Ezeobi

Operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Lagos State Police Command yesterday arrested four security guards from Chad Republic for armed robbery, and recovered four pump action guns, locally made pistols, cutlasses and charms.

The suspects who were identified as Jamal Nasiru, Ahmed Mohammed, Umaru Abubakar and Sale Abubakar, are  currently detained in SARS cell alongside one of the receivers of stolen goods, Atom Haruna, at the instance of the state Commissioner of Police, Umar Manko.

The SARS operatives led by the Officer-in-Charge, SP Abba Kyari, were directed by Manko who was alerted on the deadly activities of a notorious armed robbery gang terrorising residents of Magodo, Omole and other neighbouring estates around the area.

Asides robbing the Kara market, the suspects, it was gathered, also used to operate on the Lagos/Ibadan expressway, where their modus operandi was to place dangerous obstacles on the highway to puncture tyres of unsuspecting motorists before robbing them.

Done with investigations on the distribution of stolen goods in the state, the receiver was also arrested in a joint raid with the Isheri Police Station.
The police said the joint team arrested the receiver of the stolen goods with many laptops at Ojodu Berger and he in turn, took the team to Omole estate and Kara cattle market in Ogun State where the other suspects were picked up.
During interrogation, the robbers who revealed that they are security guards in the day time, confessed to the police the part they played in terrorising the Lagos/Ibadan express way, Kara cattle market, Magodo and Omole estate.
Meanwhile, the command has said it has intensified efforts to arrest three gang members who are still at large, although they succeeded in arresting one of the receivers including one Haruna.

In their confessional statement, one of the suspects said they were forced to go into robbery because of the paltry salary of N15,000 they earn monthly.
They disclosed that they were introduced to the act by their leader, one Mustapha, who is currently at large.

The command said after investigations, the suspects would be charged to court, while efforts would be sustained to arrest the other suspects who are still at large.