Arrested ex-convict begs Ambode for loan to stop robbery

A 23-year-old former convict, Ayodeji Bakare, arrested for armed robbery by the police in Lagos, on Monday, appealed to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for loan to make him leave robbery.
Bakare was arrested and handed over to detectives attached to the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigative Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba.
The State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, who paraded the suspect before journalists at Command headquarters, Ikeja, said he was arrested on January 23 at Ebute-Metta area of the state during a stop and search by a team of policemen.
“During a search on the suspect, one locally-made pistol and six live cartridges were recovered from him.” Owoseni said. The suspect, who is an ex-convict, appealed to Ambode to give him loan to start up a business and stop robbery.
“We are a three-man armed robbery gang, robbing people with our motorcycle in traffic. I am an aluminium fabricator, I started my robbery operation in 2014 after I came out from Ikoyi prison in 2013. I was sentenced to jail for stealing a white man’s phone at Ikoyi Club where I was working.
“Our mode of operation is to stop people and search their bags in traffic after which we will rob them of their phones and other valuables. My own role is to point gun at our victims, while some of us would hurriedly collect the person’s money or handsets. I have also made about N500,000 from the robbery operation,” he said.
Bakare added that he was initiated into the Eiye Confraternity group in 2013 by some people he met inside the prison.
“It was there they gave me orientation on how to rob and linked me up with one Sefu at Seme who sold guns and ammunition to me.
“When I was leaving prison, they gave me the name of the arms dealer who sold the gun and the bullets for me at
N30,000.” Bakare added.
He said the arms dealer also helped him to smuggle the gun into Nigeria.