Living double lives, only way to survive –Teenager robbery suspects

Endurance Evulukwu

Two teenage boys have told operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Ikeja, Lagos State Police Command, that the only way to survive for them, was to live a double life.

Thus at daylight, they would go about their normal duties of being a commercial bus conductor and commercial motorbike rider.

But under the cover of darkness, they metamorphosed into robbers, robbing with a toy gun.

The police said that the teenagers have been terrorising residents of Agege for long. The suspects said that they used to snatch bags from people returning from work.

 Jelili Rahmond 19, warned members of the public to be especially careful when passing through Oke-Koto area of Agege and Meran-Ijaiye. He said that bag snatchers used to frequent those areas.

Speaking about his members and their operations, he said if they didn’t make enough money robbing at Agege, they would move towards Dopemu area of Akowonjo, to snatch bags, purses and mobile phones.

He was arrested alongside Babatunde, one of his partners, on September, 19, 2016, by policemen attached to Pen Cinema Police Station.

Rahmond said: “I used to ride and carry passengers with my motorbike during day time, but at night, I go out with my friends to snatch bags.”

He said that once they were heading out for operation at night, he would use his motorbike to convey Babatunde and Warakim, their leader and architect of the whole plan, to the designated venues.

Revealing the gang’s modus operandi, Rahmond said that the most important thing about the job was to be swift in everything. He said that immediately they snatch valuables from victims, they speedily leave the scene.

He further said: “We used to scare our victims with a toy gun. The toy gun belonged to Warakim. The toy gun is covered with black cellophane, to fool people. It was Warakim who introduced me into this business. I’m a motorbike rider and Warakim knew me from my street. Warakim said we could make extra money by stealing from people.”

According to him, they were returning from an operation, when police sighted them. Warakim, sharp witted, had immediately bolted at the sight of the policemen.

Rahmond said: “Usually, after operation, we would share the loot and I would drop them off at their homes.  So, we were coming back when some policemen stopped us. I guessed it was because I was smoking marijuana. The stench attracted the attention of the policemen. On sighting them, Warakim took off, leaving us to face the music.”

Babatunde, who seemed indifferent about their arrest, said he had been in the business for over three months now. He said that his specialty was in snatching mobile phones from victims.

Babatunde, who said he was a bus conductor, confessed to have taken to crime because it was more profitable and less stressful.

Babatunde said he had been working with Warakim for long. He said that he mostly made a total of N4000 to N5000 every day, after selling stolen phones to a friend at Sango-Otta in Ogun State.

He further said: “After we were arrested, police asked us too many questions and later searched us. They found bundles of stolen money, jewelry, mobile phones and toy gun on us.”

The boys were arrested when they were unable to give satisfactory explanations on how they got the items.

Babatunde said: “Since my arrested, I have resigned to fate. I know what I have done is wrong, but as a bus conductor, if I don't see a driver to work with, will I jump just into any bus? I have asked God to forgive me for my actions.”

The police said efforts are on to catch the fleeing Warakim.

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