The Lagos State Police Command has arrested members of an armed robbery
gang, who made use of Mobile Police uniforms to perpetrate their acts in the
state.
The four members are Julius George, Samuel Orgah, Lucky Oliseh and Lucky
Friday.It was learnt that they were rounded up on Sunday, June 22, at the Ile
Zik area on the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.
It was further gathered that the suspects were arrested following a
tip-off to the Commissioner of Police, Umar Manko, who directed men of the Special
Anti-Robbery Squad, led by SP Abba Kyari, to go after them.
Investigation revealed that the gang had earlier escaped arrest during a
robbery operation involving a trailer of iron rods valued at N80m.
From their confessions, it was gathered that other operations of the
gang included robbing a trailer load of rice at Oju-Elegba area worth N4.5m and
that of a tanker carrying engine oil worth N11m.
However, they were arrested during the Ile Zik area operation, which was
said to be their fourth operation, and involving about N8m.
The suspects confessed to the police that George, before the operations,
had promised to provide them with police uniforms, which he did.
The 34-year-old George from Otupko, Benue State, who is also said to be
the gang leader, confessed that he lied to other members of the gang that he
was a policeman.
George, whose nickname is Mopol, added that he had bought the Mobile
Police uniforms from a market and given them to his gang members.
He said, “This was not the first time we would use police uniforms for
robbery. In 2013, I was arrested by the police and charged to court. I was
remanded for some time, but my family came and I was released on bail. Later,
the court discharged me for want of evidence.
“While in remand at the Kirikiri Prisons, I met Sam (Orgah). When I came
out of prisons, a friend of mine called Benjamin invited me again for another
job. I was asked to escort a truck of engine oil from Apapa to Mushin, because
they still regarded me as a policeman. They paid me N5,000 when they
offloaded.”
George, who is married with children and lived in Olorunshobare Street,
Iyana Ipaja, Lagos confessed that he had also partaken in robbery operations on
the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
However, 33-year-old Orgah also from Otukpo, Benue State, in his own
confession, said he had earlier been arrested for armed robbery in 2011, and
had come out of prison in 2013. He added that he used to rob cars in the Epe
area, and was making use of a locally-made gun purchased from one Suleiman.
For Oliseh, who hails from Amai, Delta State, he met George only three
weeks before their arrest when the latter invited him for the N8m robbery in
Ile Zik area.
Thirty-three-year-old Friday, who is from Jessey, Delta State, and
worked at a Shipping company in Apapa Wharf, said he met George three months
ago at Iyana -Oba where they became friends.
“I have never gone on an operation with Mopol before. He only invited me
to come with him to collect money. I did not know it was robbery,” he said.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, confirmed
that the gang members were arrested during a robbery operation where they had
worn a T-shirt with a ‘Mopol’ inscription.
She said, “They are not policemen. They were arrested during a robbery
operation in a T-shirt with an inscription, ‘Mopol’. The SARS is still
investigating.”
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