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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. Our
correspondent 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.
Our correspondent learnt that the gang had earlier
escaped arrest during a robbery operation
involving a trailer of iron rods valued at N80m.
Read more after the cut
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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