‘I became an armed robber to take care of my siblings’ – Suspect

Punch reports that the 29-year-old Alao who was arrested by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command, disclosed that the death of his parents and his failure to heed the advice of his mother not to steal other peoples’ sweat caused his arrest.

ALSO READ: “Organized Crime: 'We run different shifts during operations' - One-Chance robbers tell police”

Alao was and arrested on Thursday, February 2, 2017, during one of his gang’s operations in Oshodi area of the state after dispossessing a passenger of his two phones and the sum of N60,000

In his confessional statement, Alao admitted to being part of a three-man one-chance gang and they have been operating since 2015 when he joined the gang.

“I have been in the business of one-chance since 2015. At a time, I was arrested by the police Mushin Olosa.

My mom who was very ill and on admission in a hospital at that time was brought to see me in a chattered car in detention.

She pleaded with the officers and secured my bail. She warned me repeatedly never to take other peoples’ sweat.

She told me that if I have been using other peoples’ sweat to foot her hospital bills, I should stop it forthwith.

She insisted that if I want to live long, I should stop stealing from people. Few weeks after the incident, she died. I did it then because I needed N140, 000 to pay my house rent.

At this time, I got more than that from a week’s operation but I didn’t stop then. Now, I went back into it to help raise funds for my siblings so that they won't follow the same path.

I am the first child and the breadwinner of the family. Since the death of my mother, I have been taking care of my brothers. That was my promise to my mom before her death."

An official of the RRS who confirmed the arrest of the suspect said the gang had pushed the victim out of the bus while in motion.

“The suspect, in company with the driver and conductor of their operational bus, a Volkswagen bus with number plate, APP 820 XE, picked up the victim at Ladipo. He was to alight at Oshodi under the bridge.

However, when they sighted officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority at that bus stop, they pretended they were ascending the bridge towards Oshodi Oke.

It was at that point that they dispossessed him of his two mobile phones and a wallet containing N60,000. They then threw him out while the vehicle was in motion.”

ALSO READ: “In The Bag: Harvest of arrest as police nab 'One Chance' robbers”

Confirming the arrest, the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Dolapo Badmos, said the suspect had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Yaba, for further investigation and would be charged to court soon.