We Formed A New Robbery Gang Inside SARS Cell – Suspects
FEMI Rasaq, a suspected notorious
armed robber, who was paraded on July
16, 2015 at police headquarters, Eleyele,
Ibadan, after he was arrested by the
Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS),
Ibadan in connection with armed
robbery, but who was granted bail
when charged to court, is back in the
SARS cell, as he was recently nabbed
with others over a case of burglary.
It will be recalled that Femi was
apprehended in 2015 while driving
an unregistered Toyota Highlander
skillfully decorated with ribbons,
with the inscription “GROOM” on the
number plate. But investigation
revealed that the vehicle was
snatched at gun point in Idi Iroko,
Ogun State.
Other vehicles, including a Toyota
Highlander, a Toyota Camry (muscle)
and a Honda Accord car, were also
recovered from the suspect.
Though released on bail after he was
arraigned in court, Femi decided to
toe the familiar pathway to crime,
almost immediately after he
regained his freedom, by forming a
gang with other criminals he met in
the cell while at SARS. But the hawks
within the state police command
soon picked him and his gang
members on their way to disposing
of their loot.
Speaking with Crime Reports on the
arrest of the three-man gang, the
state Commissioner of Police, Leye
Oyebade gave the names of other
gang members as Adenle Olusola and
Paul Olaitan. Also arrested was one
Sani Abdulahi, said to be the one
receiving stolen goods from the gang
and other criminals.
According to Oyebade, the suspects
broke into a house at Egbeda area of
Ibadan and stole electronics and
other items. “Though the house had
no occupant when they broke in,
they had intended to attack the
victims if there was any, as they
were armed with a gun,” he said.
Crime Reports had an interview
session with the suspects. Below are
the excerpts of their confession:
Femi Rasaq (23)
I was once arrested by the Oyo State
Police Command and three vehicles
were recovered from me. I was
charged to court on December 8,
2015 and granted bail. The case is
still in court and the next
adjournment date is February 24. I
was arrested again by the police on
January 9, 2016 for burgling a house
at Oluwo area of Egbeda Community,
Ibadan.
I formed a robbery gang with
Olaitan Paul and Adenle Olusola. We
met inside the cell at SARS. We came
there based on different cases. I had
no discussion with Paul then. When
he was being taken to court, I gave
him my father’s number for him to
assist me in calling and asking him
for his forgiveness.
But while telling each other the story
behind our arrests in the cell,
Olusola told me that after I must
have regained freedom, I should look
for vehicles to snatch, promising that
he would help me perfect the
documents and secure new number
plates for them.
Actually, I don’t like the situation I
have found currently myself. It is not
that I desired to go back to crime.
What happened was that after my
arrest in 2015 and subsequent
release on bail, it was difficult
returning to Badagry where my
home was before my arrest.
This was because leaders of Ajara
community where I lived with my
father held a meeting with my family
and excommunicated us. They said
they watched me on the TV and
heard the news of my robbery
escapades. Sola and Paul were at the
meeting also.
On the day I was charged to court,
Olusola came to court. He used to call
my father before then but didn’t tell
him we met in the cell. I started
living with Olusola in Ikire after I
was granted bail.
I went to Idi Iroko to procure a
locally-made gun for N10,000. I also
got nine live cartridges from two of
my friends.
The three of us left Badagry for Ikire
but I was afraid of going back to
crime. I was further discouraged
when Olusola’s girlfriend came from
Lagos and offered to get us jobs, but
Olusola hurriedly dismissed her,
saying he didn’t want her to stall our
plans.
It was Paul who suggested we go for
burglary and was the one who
located the house we went into. The
first time we went to the house, we
scaled the fence and took three
laptops which we gave to Olusola. He
sold them to someone at Sabo.
We went the second time with
Olusola’s car and packed the items
we stole in the car. In the morning,
when we wanted to leave, the car did
not start. I called Olusola and he
came with a mechanic. We managed
the car to an auto workshop, but
later called a taxi into which the
items were transferred.
It was while we were taking the
items to Sabo that policemen stopped
us. They searched the vehicle and
saw the gun I bought in my bag.
They discovered that we stole the
items after they interrogated us. I
would not have gone back to crime if
not for Olusola who encouraged me.
Paul Olaitan (20)
I first found myself in SARS cell after
I was arrested for burglary at Alakia
area of Ibadan. No one taught me
house burglary. It was a guy who
suggested it to me after I destroyed
some plasma TVs and other items in
a sachet water factory where I
worked, when my boss refused to
pay my salary arrears.
I was taken to Airport police station
where I met the guy. He told me that
I should have planned to steal and
sell the TVs, instead of destroying
them. He disclosed that buyers were
always available at Sabo. After my
release, I started to steal phones
from where they were being
charged.
I met Femi in SARS cell and we used
to eat together. When I was charged
to court from SARS in 2015, I was
remanded in prison until my mother
came to perfect my bail two months
after. She pleaded with the
complainant and the case was
withdrawn from court. It was that
case that my made my stepfather to
divorce my mother. I am the only
child she had for my father before
she remarried.
I went to court on the day Femi was
to be arraigned and saw Sola. I used
to see him in Agodi prisons. He
offered me accommodation so I went
to join him. When Femi came out,
the three of us planned how to go
and burgle a house I had noticed at
Oluwo community as unoccupied.
This was after each of us complained
of lack of money.
Adenle Sola (38)
I was arrested in 2015 for buying a
stolen car from a friend. I was
arraigned in court and remanded in
prison when I could not fulfil bail
condition. I left prison after a month
when the bail conditions were
perfected.
Before then, Femi and I had
discussed in SARS cell on how he
could dispose of stolen vehicles, and
I told him that I knew someone who
could do a perfect job of it. I was
charged to court before him. I saw
Paul when I went to court on
adjournment date. That was how he
lamented that he had nowhere to
live, and I asked him to join me.
I knew when Femi went to purchase
gun. He didn’t tell me when he and
Paul first went to burgle, but they
brought three laptops to me and I
helped them to sell them for
N10,000. We used the money to feed
ourselves.
My car was used by Femi and Paul to
load the items stolen from the house
they burgled the second time. It is
not as if we enjoy being in police cell
but as things are now, we are just
asking for forgiveness.
Sani Abdulahi (23)
I have been engaged in buying stolen
properties for four years. Paul had
once sold a Samsung LED TV 32” to
me and he gave me the receipt. He
called me recently, saying that there
was a Yahoo guy who wanted to sell
some items. He promised to bring the
items to me. I was surprised when he
came with police to arrest me. I
knew that some of those who bring
items to me used to steal them.
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