A 29-year-old robbery suspect, Godwin Ibe, narrowly escaped being lynched by an angry mob in the commercial city of Lagos Wednesday while attempting to evade arrest by a team of policemen on patrol on the LASU-Isheri Expressway.
The suspect was arrested at about 6 am with a shotgun, four live cartridges and other dangerous weapons by some members of the Odua People’s Congress (OPC) who were keeping watch in the neighborhood.
It was learnt that before his apprehension, some police officers patrolling along the expressway had earlier demanded to know the contents of the polythene bag he was holding.
But Ibe ran for fear that he might be arrested, and the patrolmen raised the alarm and went after him.
The incident caught the attention of the vigilante group who later joined the mobile men and eventually caught up with Ibe after a long chase.
However, the suspect denied ownership of the weapons found in his possession. He said, “I came to that area in the morning at the behest of Moses, who is a friend of mine and a fellow armed robber. On the previous night, he told me that he was travelling and requested me to come get his gun for safe keeping. I agreed and sometime before 6 am the following day, I was on the LASU/Isheri Road.
“Usually, members of my gang often met with Moses in an oil pipeline area just off that road. Moses is the leader of our gang. I have known him for five months now. A mutual friend introduced him to me at the Abuja Line in Alaba International Market. He keeps the arms that we use during our operations. After he handed his gun to me, I bade him farewell and started walking back home.”
Ibe however admitted that he met the police patrol team at about 6 am while returning home but took to his heels.
He said, “The policemen stopped me and asked me about the contents of the bag I was carrying. I was scared and I couldn’t think up an excuse. So I ran away. But they raised the alarm and ran after me. Before they could get to me, some OPC men caught me. They checked my bag, saw the gun and immediately realised that I was a robber.
Narrating his ordeal in the hands of the vigilante group, Ibe said he was almost given the Aluu treatment before the police officers arrived.
He said, “The OPC men beat me with pieces of wood and anything they could lay their hands on. They were about to set me on fire when the policemen, who had been chasing me, arrived on the spot and stopped them.”
Regretfully, Ibe who was inflicted with several injuries on his head and body said, “I was arrested in 2010 and was jailed. I served at the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison for armed robbery. At the time, I was into bag snatching and I was arrested during an unsuccessful operation. I was eventually released early this year from prison and travelled back to my home state.
“I didn’t return to Lagos until August. Starting life afresh was very difficult for me at the time. Although I am a trained mechanic, I tried my hand at being a casual worker at the Badagry beach. It was not profitable. Sometimes you made sales and at other times, you didn’t. I got tired and eventually approached Moses for help.
“We met regularly at a joint where Indian hemp was sold in the neighborhood. But that was after he had been introduced to me. I told him that I needed his help and I was having difficulty making ends meet.
“Moses took pity on me and asked me to join his gang. Often, we would operate around the petroleum pipelines at Ojo, Okokomaiko and LASU. At first we started with bag snatching, harassing women who walked on the expressway in search of commercial motorcyclists on their way to work.
“Eventually, we changed tactics and started to attack traders. Most of time, our victims were the traders who left their homes before 6 am to take their wares to the market. They always carried some money on them. Since we were four in number, we would surround our victims with two in front and then, rob them of their bags and goods.
“The goods were usually taken to the premises of a public primary school located near the road. That is where we often met after every robbery to share our loot. We didn’t even make much money because the news of our robbery attacks often spread and other traders became more cautious in the end. I got involved in robbery because I had nowhere else to go. I didn’t mean to hurt anyone.”
Confirming the arrest, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Umaru Manko said, “Ibe was rescued and arrested by a police patrol team attached to Satellite division. He was eventually transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad last Friday. Efforts are being made by the investigating SARS team to apprehend the remaining three-gang members.
“However, this has been made more difficult because Ibe lost his phone while he was being mobbed by the OPC vigilante. He no longer has the contacts of his accomplices and has no idea where they live.
“Ibe confessed that the gang usually met at a certain location on Allen Avenue in Ikeja before any robbery attack. Investigation is still ongoing and the suspect will be charged to court upon its conclusion.”
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