Operatives of the Special Anti Robbery Squad, SARS, Ikeja, Lagos have arrested two members of a five-man robbery gang who specialised in robbing unsuspecting passengers who board commercial cab along Badagry-Mile 2 route. 
The Suspects, Ahmed and Victoria
The two suspects which include a woman and a man operate along Seme-Badagry- Mile 2 route have been identified as Ahmed Isiaka and Victoria Amodu, according to police sources.
The woman, 27-year-old Victoria narrated what led her into being an armed robber:
“I was arrested last Wednesday at Dakar Hotel in Seme where I used to work as a prostitute.“I am from Edo State. I came to Lagos last February to look for greener pastures when my husband was constantly beating me.
We were married for eight years.“I abandoned my husband and three children and came to Lagos with the intention of living under the bridge until I found a place to lay my head.
READ ALSO: How We Spend Our Money – Armed Robbers
Fortunately for me, I didn’t have to sleep under the bridge as I met a lady in a commercial bus I boarded who had compassion on me when she saw me crying in the bus.
“She took me to the hotel where she was working as a prostitute and introduced me into the league of prostitutes.
“Everything was going on well until Okanlawon patronised me in the hotel. The first time we spent the night together. After that night I didn’t see him again untill three weeks later.
She said the same, Okanlawon intorduced her into the business after she accompanied him and realised he strated picking passengers and he and his gang attacked them.
However, she said she told him that she did not want to be involved in such operations “but he threatened to deal with me, saying nobody would know my whereabouts if I didn’t co-operate with the gang.“That was why I had a rethink and continued to participate in robbery operations. The first time I participated, I wasn’t given anything while at two other times I was given N15,000 and N10,000 respectively.”
One of the suspects, Ahmed who was arrested by a female police officer investigating the case after a victim reported the matter at the Ojo Police Division led to the arrest of Victoria but other members escaped.
Apparently the female officer dressed in mufti fell a victim after boarding their vehicle, but she was able to get details of the vehicle during the attack.
The cab was later traced to Iyana-Iba the next day when unsuspecting passengers were already boarding it and that’s how Ahmed was arrested.
The second suspect, 33-year-old Ahmed Isiaka from Kwara State narrated to Vanguard how he got involved in such business saying:
“I was introduced to the gang by Okanlawon last November. Other members of the gang are Nuru, Victoria and Isiaka.“I am the driver of the operational vehicle, a Honda Accord, while Nuru used to drive the back-up vehicle, a Mazda.
READ ALSO: Police Arrest A Mother For Armed Robbery
“We used to operate along Iyana-Iba-Badagry expressway. Usually, Victoria sits at the front while another member sits at the back. I take passengers from Iyana-Iba bus stop going to Badagry. Before we get to a lonely area between Agbara and Oko-Afo the other members of the gang in the back-up vehicle would signal me to stop.
“Immediately, I receive the signal, I would pretend like the vehicle was faulty then park and pretended to be fixing the vehicle. While this was going on, the other members would strike.
“We don’t use guns or juju to rob passengers, instead we use wheel spanner. We don’t even make them unconscious during operation. Usually we operate in the night. Sometimes we operate in broad daylight.“
Depending on our loot, I could get as much as N10,000 from one operation. And I have participated in about four robbery operations.“Okanlawon used to take all the phones we get from operations.
Before I joined the gang I was a commercial bus driver.“I am married with a child. I used to live at Ibafo before my rent expired and I moved to 1, Denton Street in Oyingbo.”
Meanwhile the gang’s mode of operation was using two operational vehicles, one of the suspects, Ahmed would sit in the driver’s seat while Victoria, the only female suspect in the gang sits in front and another gang member at the back as unsuspecting passengers board the cab.
While the other two members would sit in the back-up vehicle. Immediately they get to a lonely place along the road, the gang members in the back-up cab would signal the driver with the passenger to stop by flashing his phone.The driver would then pretend to be fixing his vehicle that would have suddenly become faulty. This will allow those in the back-up vehicle to launch an attack. That way the passengers won’t suspect any foul play.
Another method was for them to use one vehicle with Victoria sitting beside the driver to pick passengers without the back-up vehicle.
“Everything was going on well until Okanlawon patronised me in the hotel. The first time we spent the night together. After that night I didn’t see him again untill three weeks later.
She said the same, Okanlawon intorduced her into the business after she accompanied him and realised he strated picking passengers and he and his gang attacked them.
However, she said she told him that she did not want to be involved in such operations “but he threatened to deal with me, saying nobody would know my whereabouts if I didn’t co-operate with the gang.“That was why I had a rethink and continued to participate in robbery operations. The first time I participated, I wasn’t given anything while at two other times I was given N15,000 and N10,000 respectively.”
One of the suspects, Ahmed who was arrested by a female police officer investigating the case after a victim reported the matter at the Ojo Police Division led to the arrest of Victoria but other members escaped.
Apparently the female officer dressed in mufti fell a victim after boarding their vehicle, but she was able to get details of the vehicle during the attack.
The cab was later traced to Iyana-Iba the next day when unsuspecting passengers were already boarding it and that’s how Ahmed was arrested.
The second suspect, 33-year-old Ahmed Isiaka from Kwara State narrated to Vanguard how he got involved in such business saying:
“I was introduced to the gang by Okanlawon last November. Other members of the gang are Nuru, Victoria and Isiaka.“I am the driver of the operational vehicle, a Honda Accord, while Nuru used to drive the back-up vehicle, a Mazda.
READ ALSO: Police Arrest A Mother For Armed Robbery
“We used to operate along Iyana-Iba-Badagry expressway. Usually, Victoria sits at the front while another member sits at the back. I take passengers from Iyana-Iba bus stop going to Badagry. Before we get to a lonely area between Agbara and Oko-Afo the other members of the gang in the back-up vehicle would signal me to stop.
“Immediately, I receive the signal, I would pretend like the vehicle was faulty then park and pretended to be fixing the vehicle. While this was going on, the other members would strike.
“We don’t use guns or juju to rob passengers, instead we use wheel spanner. We don’t even make them unconscious during operation. Usually we operate in the night. Sometimes we operate in broad daylight.“
Depending on our loot, I could get as much as N10,000 from one operation. And I have participated in about four robbery operations.“Okanlawon used to take all the phones we get from operations.
Before I joined the gang I was a commercial bus driver.“I am married with a child. I used to live at Ibafo before my rent expired and I moved to 1, Denton Street in Oyingbo.”
Meanwhile the gang’s mode of operation was using two operational vehicles, one of the suspects, Ahmed would sit in the driver’s seat while Victoria, the only female suspect in the gang sits in front and another gang member at the back as unsuspecting passengers board the cab.
While the other two members would sit in the back-up vehicle. Immediately they get to a lonely place along the road, the gang members in the back-up cab would signal the driver with the passenger to stop by flashing his phone.The driver would then pretend to be fixing his vehicle that would have suddenly become faulty. This will allow those in the back-up vehicle to launch an attack. That way the passengers won’t suspect any foul play.
Another method was for them to use one vehicle with Victoria sitting beside the driver to pick passengers without the back-up vehicle.
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