The suspect, Hamed
Mr Oluwanisola Adewunmi (not real names) and his daughter had gone out on Thursday, January 27, 2011, driving his Toyota Matrix car along one of the streets in Ilesa town, Osun State, with the aim to pick his wife from where she had gone, when a red car that was behind suddenly sped past him and crossed his car at the front. Though his daughter immediately sensed that the boys could be armed robbers, the father had no inkling of the experience he would soon pass through as he wondered aloud why the young man behind the steering could be driving so dangerously.
However, before he could utter words of reprimand, three fierce-looking young men jumped out their operational vehicle, drew their guns and ordered father and daughter to the back of the car while they took over the steering. Sternly telling the elderly man to cooperate or be dealt with, he was also asked to lead them to his house.
As they got to the house, the gates were opened for them when the household members saw Daddy's car, unknown to them that they were about hosting unwanted visitors. That was how the entire household was held hostage by the gang members, who collected phones, wrist watch, laptop, some cash and eventually went away with the car.
Before the Ilesa operation, it was gathered that the armed robbers had operated in Ile-Ife where they dispossessed their victims of jewelry and cash and a Peugeot 605 car, which was later abandoned along Ilesa expressway. They also went to a petrol station in Ilesa where an unspecified cash was collected from the staff of the petrol station.
The armed robbers had left Ilesa immediately for Ibadan and decided to relax a little. Not satisfied with the little money they got from the Ilesa operation, they decided to go for another operation in Ibadan the following day. By then, another gang member who was not with them at the Ilesa operation joined them at Agbowo area in Ibadan, and from Agbowo, they all proceeded to a club along Awolowo road in Sango area to catch some fun. At midnight, they left the club to go on another operation at Bodija area and after the operation, went back to the club.
Around 4.30a.m., they decided to leave the club for Agbowo Shopping Complex car park and as they drove in, they were challenged by the security man attached to the complex. Instead of giving a humble reply, the armed robbers were aggressive and this made the security man to alert policemen attached to Seven Cities patrol team at U.I.-Secretariat junction. Immediately they saw policemen, the armed robbers went in different directions but one of them was not so lucky as he was shot in the leg to halt his escape bid.
Speaking with Sunday Tribune at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) unit, Dugbe Ibadan, the arrested suspect, Hamed Usman confessed to his participation in the Ibadan operation, saying that it was the other gang members' impatience that gave them out. Hamed, who said he regretted his robbery activities, told Sunday Tribune that his father's attitude towards him, his sibilings and their mother prompted his joining a robbery gang.
In his confession, Hamed, who spoke in fluent Yoruba though of Hausa extract, said: "I am 31 years old. I am from Zaria in Kaduna State. I passed out of Bishop Dennis College, Zaria in 2001 and got admission into The Polytechnic, Zaria, to study Mathematics in 2008. My father abandoned my mother when I was about seven years old and since then, he never asked of us, neither have we set our eyes on him.
"In 1990, we heard he was in Katsina-Ala and I personally went looking for him as the first born of the family. I saw his office where he was operating as a native doctor. I got to the office in the night and I was told he had travelled. I was shown his house which he built for himself but I did not see him. I don't know whether it was a curse or he was charmed that he should not set his eyes on his children. He kept avoiding us, pushing the responsibility of our upkeep on our mother alone.
"I got into robbery through a friend I met in Akure, Ondo State. His name is Tunde. My mother had remarried and was living with her husband in Akure. It was when I went to see her that I met Tunde in 1998. He was attending a high school in Oke Aro before he said he got admission into The Polytechnic, Ibadan. We thereafter lost contact before we reconnected in 2001. We started communicating and I came to meet him in school. Anytime I came, he would give me money, sometimes N5,000, sometimes N10,000. I was impressed with the gifts and I had to tell him to please let me into how to make money too.
"He opened up to me that he used to 'obtain' from people and that he would call me anytime there was 'business'. What made me desire to join his gang was the attitude of my father. I was determined to have a gang so that on the day I would set my eyes on him, I would have people with me to deal with him so that he would know what his attitude turned me to. I even told Tunde of my intention. On a particular day, in 2008, I was in Zaria when he gave me a call that I should come to Ibadan. Then, he was still in school though I didn't know whether he had finished there or not. He was a cultist there and I tried to join the cult too but I was not admitted into his group because I was not a student of the school. Tunde belonged to the Aye cult. He was an Axe man
"He told me to meet him at Agbowo Shopping Complex. From there, Tunde, one Seun and I moved to Bodija area of Ibadan around 8.30p.m. We hid ourselves somewhere on the street until we saw a car approaching. We followed the car into compound and Tunde pulled out a gun. It was a locally-made gun and he was the supplier. We went in and operated, after which I was given N50,000. I didn't know the total money we got because Tunde was the boss and he would not reveal it.
"I went back to Zaria and was doing barbing to survive. I kept calling Tunde not to forget me. In 2009, he called me again and I came to Ibadan. The second time, we left Agbowo Shopping Com-plex, snatched a car at Leventis area along Mokola-Sango road and used it to rob at Oluyole area. After the robbery, we abandoned the car. I was given N70,000 from that operation.
"On Friday January 28, 2011, I came to Ibadan and went to meet Tunde at Agbowo Shopping Complex. He called Seun and Seun came with a black saloon car at almost 8p.m. We were joined by another young man whose name is Gbenga and we moved to a club along Awolowo road and was there till 1a.m. when we went to a local hotel in Bodija Estate area. The road to the place is untarred. We collected laptops, phones, chains and money. I was given N60,000 as my own share. We returned to the club to await the dawn and when it was around 4.30a.m., we went back to the shopping complex to drop the vehicle. We drove into the premises, unknown to us that the security man was watching us. He came to challenge our parking there and Tunde started arguing with him. In anger, the security man went to lock the gate and Tunde used the car to hit the gate to force it open but the gate did not open. This made the security man to blow a whistle to invite the police nearby. The police came and others ran away while I was shot as I attempted to run away. I was caught because I was sitting in the car when everything was happening so I could not escape in time.
"Tunde was our gang leader and is from Ondo State. Seun is from Ibadan. I don't know where Gbenga hails from. Tunde used to bring two guns for operation sometimes. The guns are those used by his cult group and he used to bring them for operation without the knowledge of other cult members. He and Seun used to handle the guns. They did not have cause to use the gun on any of our victims because they usually cooperated at the sight of guns. We would only shoot into the air when leaving venue of operation so that our victims would not be able to pursue us.
"Unfortunately, I don't know where Tunde lives. Anytime I went to meet him in school, we used to meet at a place called Across in front of the institution. There is a woman selling paraga (alcohol-laced herbal drinks) where we used to meet."
Hamed said he regretted his actions as he never knew his life would turn out the way it has. The suspect, who admitted smoking marijuana said he started taking the banned herbs in 2000 while still in secondary school. He added that his mother was yet to know that he had been caught by the long arms of the law.
"'My mind told me that the car we used for operation that day was stolen but I did not ask them", he said.
The Police Rublic Relations Officer in Oyo State, Mr. Olatunji Ajimuda, a Superintendent of Police, told Sunday Tribune that Hamed would remain at SARS to help in the investigations while a serious hunt is still on for the gang leader, Tunde and other gang members.
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