How I Abandoned My Husband, 3 Children And Ended Up A Robber -- Suspect

Operatives of the Special Anti Robbery Squad, SARS, Ikeja, Lagos have
smashed a syndicate, arresting a woman and a man that specialised in
robbing unsuspecting passengers who board commercial cab along
Badagry-Mile 2 route.

According to Police sources, the suspects identified as Ahmed Isiaka
and Victoria Amodu are part of five-man robbery gang operating along
Seme-Badagry- Mile 2 route.

One of the apprehended robbers, 27-year-old Victoria, while narrating
her story said: "I was arrested last Wednesday at Dakar Hotel in Seme
where I used to work as a prostitute.

"I am from Edo State. I came to Lagos last February to look for
greener pastures when my husband was constantly beating me. We were
married for eight years.

"I abandoned my husband and three children and came to Lagos with the
intention of living under the bridge until I found a place to lay my
head. Fortunately for me, I didn't have to sleep under the bridge as I
met a lady in a commercial bus I boarded who had compassion on me when
she saw me crying in the bus.

"She took me to the hotel where she was working as a prostitute and
introduced me into the league of prostitutes.

"Everything was going on well until Okanlawon patronised me in the
hotel. The first time we spent the night together. After that night I
didn't see him again untill three weeks later.

"Weeks later, someone stole my N100,000 from my room in the hotel
while I was asleep. While I was still lamenting the loss, the
collector of our Esusu contribution disappeared with my N150,000.

"As I was still grieving over the loss, Okanlawon came to the hotel to
see me. He told me to accompany him to a night club. Initially I
declined but after much persuasion I followed him.

"Instead of going to the club, he took me to his place where we spent
the night together. In the morning, he asked me to enter the front
seat of his vehicle and he started picking passengers and I asked him
why he was carrying passengers but he didn't respond.

"It was when he and his gang members attacked the passengers that I
knew what he was into. I told him I didn't want to take part in their
operations. But he threatened to deal with me, saying nobody would
know my whereabouts if I didn't co-operate with the gang.

"That was why I had a rethink and continued to participate in robbery
operations. The first time I participated, I wasn't given anything
while at two other times I was given N15,000 and N10,000
respectively."

Trouble for the gang

Trouble started for the gang after a victim whom they robbed reported
the incident at the Ojo Police Division which began investigating the
activities of the gang.

Ironically, the female police officer investigating the case at the
division was also robbed by the gang when she boarded their vehicle
while in mufti.

She was able to get details of the vehicle during the attack. The cab
was later traced to Iyana-Iba the next day when unsuspecting
passengers were already boarding it.

Ahmed was then arrested while the other members escaped. The case was
later transferred to SARS for further investigation which eventually
led to the arrest of Victoria.

Mode of operation

The gang had two operational styles. First, they could use two
operational vehicles.

One of the suspects, Ahmed would occupy the driver's seat while
Victoria, the only female suspect in the gang sits in front and
another gang member at the back as unsuspecting passengers board the
cab.

The other two members would sit in the back-up vehicle. Immediately
they get to a lonely place along the road, the gang members in the
back-up cab would signal the driver with the passenger to stop by
flashing his phone.

The driver would then pretend to be fixing his vehicle that would have
suddenly become faulty. This will allow those in the back-up vehicle
to launch an attack. That way the passengers won't suspect any foul
play.

The second mode of operation is that they use one vehicle with
Victoria sitting beside the driver to pick passengers without the
back-up vehicle.

Ahmed's account

During interrogation, 33-year-old Ahmed Isiaka from Kwara State
toldVanguard:"I was introduced to the gang by Okanlawon last November.
Other members of the gang are Nuru, Victoria and Isiaka.

"I am the driver of the operational vehicle, a Honda Accord, while
Nuru used to drive the back-up vehicle, a Mazda.

"We used to operate along Iyana-Iba-Badagry expressway. Usually,
Victoria sits at the front while another member sits at the back. I
take passengers from Iyana-Iba bus stop going to Badagry. Before we
get to a lonely area between Agbara and Oko-Afo the other members of
the gang in the back-up vehicle would signal me to stop.