The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Lagos State Police Command, has arrested six members of a suspected eight-man armed robbery gang that allegedly attacked a church at Vespa, Ijanikin on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.
Two locally made pistols, 50 live cartridges and military camouflage were recovered from them.
In police net are: Adewale Osaja, 21; Bala Yahaya, 28; Hassan Ado, 19; Armed Boladale, 20; Abiodun Olarewaju, 27, and Abbey Edward, 45.
Parading them yesterday at the Lagos Command Headquarters in Ikeja, its spokesperson Ngozi Braide, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said: “On December 31, 2013 at about 10.45pm, a new-generation church, Christ Authority and Power Evangelical Ministry (CAPEM), situated at Ijanikin, a suburb of Lagos, along Lagos-Badagry Expressway, was invaded by a group of armed robbers during a cross-over night. They robbed worshippers of their valuables which included Ipads, Ipods, phones, jewelry, money and church offering.”
Braide said they struck when the worshippers were exchanging New Year pleasantries in the church, adding that the same gang struck on Morantola Street, Vespa, Ijanikin on January 1.
She said residents showed bravery by engaging them, but that the robbers fled, abandoning one of their weapons.
On January 2, she added, Hassan Ado, a member of the gang “foolishly” went back to the street to ask some boys if they saw any gun because theirs fell down there the previous day. Braide said the community was alerted and he was arrested.
His arrest and subsequent transfer to the SARS enabled the Officer-in-Charge Abba Kyari, a Superintendent of Police (SP) to lead his team to arrest other members of the gang including their leader, Osoja, leaving two, now at large.
Kyari’s Special Squad later arrested their alleged arms’ supplier, Abbey Edward, who had allegedly given them five locally made pistols.
Braide said Edward sold each gun for N7, 000 to Abiodun Olarewaju who, in turn, sold same for N20, 000 each to the suspects.
She said besides confessing to armed robbery around Ajangbadi, Ilogbo and Ijanikin among other places, they confessed to being members of Eiye Confraternity.
Osaja said: “We never fired a shot before, during or after entering the church; we entered with two pistols. We saw somebody announcing offering time. My people took position. Some acted as church members. One of us went straight to the announcer and took over the microphone form him. He told them to continue because everybody must give special offering because God was ready to do a big thing that hour. He told the pastor to continue speaking in tongue till the robbery operation was over. My men collected the offering, their phones and other valuables on them.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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