The 34-year-old suspect arrested by the Rapid Response Squad of the Lagos State Police Command, Agabi Junior Okanu, who allegedly stole the belongings of an Oxford University don, Professor Paul Collier, has confessed that he committed the act because he thought the bag contained dollars.
Okanu made the confession last weekend during a press briefing at the Lagos State Police Command, Ikeja.
The Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, said that the suspect was caught on the close circuit television (CCTV) installed at the venue of the event.
The Cross River State-born suspect was arrested last Tuesday in Lagos while the acting president, Professor Yemi Osinbajo was performing the groundbreaking ceremony for the Lagos-Ibadan rail project.
Metro learnt that he mingled with ministers and other dignitaries at the event, and was chatting with Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, when he was called out and arrested.
It will be recalled that the Director of African Economies at Oxford University, London, United Kingdom was in Nigeria for the 14th Annual Lecture of Centre for Values in Leadership, held at MUSON Centre, Onikan, on February 6, when Okanu disappeared with the visitor’s bag containing his Apple Macbook, three British passports, an iPhone 4S, wallet, bunch of keys, and identity cards.
The suspect had seized the moment the don stepped out with the governor to carry out a function when he stole the bag and left the venue
Okanu, who resided at 23, Ilowa Street, Ikorodu, was said to have recently held an engagement ceremony with his betrothed.
A police source informed Metro that the suspect led the RRS operatives to a place in Ikorodu where they recovered the professor’s bag with the documents in it, in the place he threw it.
During an interview by journalists, Okanu opened up on his deeds, admitting that “I specialised in attending various corporate events without invitation to steal participants’ valuables.”
He also disclosed that he resided in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where he engaged in the supply of clothing materials to the Northern part of the country before coming to Lagos where he started stealing.
Metro learnt that he used to attend events in corporate dresses to convince events protocol officers of his knowledge of and invitation to the event before setting on his preys.
He also disclosed how he sat at the second row behind Professor Collier who was one of the facilitators at the Onikan event, saying that the don asked him to help look after his bag when he had cause to leave his seat.
“I believed the bag contained some dollars and some other valuables before I decided to run away with it,” Okanu said.
The bubble reportedly burst for the suspect when he was sighted, while in discussion with Amaechi at the groundbreaking event, by RRS operatives who had been working towards apprehending him, armed with his photograph from the CCTV footage at Onikan.
He was approached and excused from the venue, after which he was arrested for questioning.
Metro learnt that when the suspect was offered food on his day of arrest, he said “I’m fasting for God’s forgiveness for stealing people’s hard-earned valuables.”
The police were however said to have compelled him to eat, as fasting is not allowed while suspects are in custody.
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