Abiodun Morufu, who is one of the five armed robbery suspects arrested by the Ogun State Police Command, has opened up on how he went into armed robbery through the contacts he got from co-inmates in the prison while serving a two-year sentence for a criminal offence.
Morufu a.k.a Jedi and four others – Fisayo Aliu a.k.a Yaya, Usman Adeyemi, Dauda Lekan and Afeez Adesina – were among the 13 suspects paraded by the state Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole during a press briefing at the police headquarters at Eleweran, Abeokuta, on Monday.
According to CP Bankole, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Iperu Division had received a call on March 16 that some armed robbers were operating on Ogere road.
This, he stated, led to the mobilisation of the division’s men, the anti-robbery team of the Area Command and those of adjoining divisions by the DPO to the robbery scene.
“On sighting the policemen, the hoodlums, who had already snatched a Toyota Corolla car from one of their victims, took to their heels,” the police commissioner said.
He stated further that five of the gang members were eventually arrested while the Toyota car that was snatched and a locally-made single barrel gun were recovered.
In an interview with Morufu, aged 40, he confessed to joining an armed robbery gang for operations after leaving prison some months ago.
“The gang leaders came from Lagos State and brought a lot of weapons. Those of us based in Ogun State don’t have weapons. We were about 10 in number and operated in Iperu. We assembled at Ogere before moving to the scene where we wanted to operate,” Morufu told the Nigerian Tribune.
How I joined the gang
“I got the gang leaders’ contacts from my co-inmates in the prison. When I regained freedom on October 29, 2021 after serving a two-year sentence in the prison, I went to meet them. I started joining them as the driver during robbery operations. They used to snatch cars from their victims after breaking into their houses at midnight.
“It was a friend, popularly called ‘Coded’ that landed me in trouble that initially got me convicted. We got to know each other where we went into learning about native medicine. His father lives in Isara Remo while my dad lives in Iperu.
“On our way, a car hit us from behind and I went to confront the driver, not knowing that my friend had escaped. I just heard shouts of ‘thief! thief!!’ I learnt later that my friend stole the motorcycle.
“I was arrested, charged to court and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment. It was in the prison that I got connected with the robbery gang by those serving their terms or awaiting trial.
“It was in the prison I also met Fisayo and others.
“When I came out, I didn’t know where to start from. My mother had died while I was serving prison term. I thought that I would be able to make money if I went to Lagos to meet those whose contacts I got.
“Two days after I left prison, Fisayo also came out. We met and he said we should go to Lagos to work as bus conductors, but we didn’t get employed.
“We started working as load carrier at Oyingbo market, but most of the money we made were being collected by those in control. And we dared not refuse them.
“That was why I went to join the gang, with the thought that I would do it for about two years and stop after making some money.”
First operation
“We all met at ghetto in Ogere and I drove the gang members to Iperu where we invaded the residence of a woman. Getting in was difficult so we broke the window glass and cut the burglarproof. But our member who was the first to get in was killed when he made an attempt to kill the elderly woman in the house over the Toyota Highlander we targeted. Eventually, the key was thrown at me from inside and I drove it off. Funnily, I was not paid by the gang. They told me they didn’t get anything, only for me to later learn after my arrest that they collected N500,000 and phones from the woman.
“That’s why I now want to work for the government. May I be cursed if I don’t pick all of them for arrest.”
The second operation
“It was in Iperu also. We collected a Toyota Corolla which I went to hide in a bushy area, with the thought that the police would come after us, we would have something to hold on to.
“As we thought, the police came and we escaped. After some time in Lagos, I decided to go and pick the car in Iperu, with the thought of using it for commercial purpose or selling it in parts. However, that led to my arrest. So I’ve had nothing to gain while those that led me to the operation are enjoying themselves now.”
Four other suspects also spoke on their involvement and how they were arrested. Below are the excerpts:
Fisayo Aliu a.k.a Yaya
“I’m from Ipara but live in ghetto at Ogere. I met Morufu in the prison at Sagamu. He used to help me as the kitchen attendant in the prison. I was remanded in prison because I was involved in oil bunkering.
“When I came out of prison, I went to Morufu in Lagos for us to deliberate on what to do. The only operation I joined to carry out was that of the Toyota Corolla.
Usman Adeyemi (26)
“I started pilfering when I was seven years old. This gave my mother so many worries and she tried her best to exorcise the spirit from me until she died about five years ago. I never knew my father.
“She was the last wife of my father and had three of us. I’m the first born.
“I didn’t join the armed robbery gang. What happened was that I went to Mushin and learnt ‘price and take.’ This means I would pretend as if I wanted to buy something, and while the seller goes to pick it, I would deftly steal her phone. One day, I did it and was hit with charms. Since then, I started having seizures that used to throw me on the ground while blood would be coming out of my mouth.
“This brought shame upon me and I left our residence at Ilasa in Lagos. I started living at Abattoir in Agege and washing cars during traffic.
“When Morufu came from prison, he liked me because I used to give from the money I was making for him to survive. When he noticed my predicament, and he was into native medicine with his parents, he asked me to come to Iperu so that I would be treated traditionally.
“It was while I was with him that they arrested us. I have never engaged in armed robbery and I had dropped pilfering also, and Morufu told them that I was not part of the gang.”
Adesina Afeez
“I knew the armed robbery gang members but I was not part of them. I used to see guns with them. One of them usually asked me to keep some of their loot that he didn’t show the rest, so that he would have more than others.
“I smoke hemp because it has been destined by God.”
Dauda Lekan
“I have been living in the ghetto for three years and was sleeping when police came to arrest me. I don’t know my parents. I only saw them in pictures.”