The Lagos state Police Command has arrested four men who faked street fights to attack hotels in the state.
The suspects, Fuad Azeez, 25, Rahmon Sanusi, 25, Kareem Idris,22, Muftau Jinadu, 22, and members of their gang, now at large, usually split themselves into groups.
While some posed as guests in the hotel reception, others will cause a scene outside the hotel which will attract the workers or lodgers before they swoop on lodgers, to rob them.
The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, who paraded the suspects before newsmen on Wednesday at the police headquarters, said the robbers, suspected to be cult members belonging to Eiye Confraternity, were arrested on Tuesday.
“The suspects are also cultists who used to carry out series of fight at Oyingbo and its environs.
“Recovered from them are one locally-made pistol, two live cartridges, machetes and assorted charms,” Owoseni said.
The suspects, however, confessed to have robbed and killed someone at Evans Square and also attacked One Point Hotel, Moonshine Hotel and Minister Excellence Hotel all in Ebute-Meta area.
The kingpin of the gang, Idris, said that they intentionally caused street fight in order to destabilize the peace of the community.
The suspect said that once they had caused street fights, during the created panic and confusion, they would invade and rob hotels, adding that guests in such hotels were never spared as the gang would dispossess them of all their valuables.
“We used machetes and locally-made guns for operations. After robbing the hotels, we have buyers always ready to buy the items we stole from guests in the hotels.
“Normally, we don’t harm the guests, but when they don’t cooperate, we hit them. Today, as I stand here, I regret my actions. Given another chance, I will not go back to robbery,” Idris sobbed.
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