Tenant, squatter in phone theft scandal

A member of one of the robbery gang that operated at the popular Ojota Motor Park in Lagos State, Sunday (surname withheld), has blamed his inability to cure a three-year-old sore in his leg for his involvement in robbery.

The 20-year-old suspect said that he went into robbery to get money and find a lasting solution to the wound, which, according to him, had become an embarrassment.

The suspect told Lagos Metro that “I was injured about three years ago when I was a bus conductor. Since that time, I had been nursing the sore. I had spent all my life savings on it.

“When help was no longer forthcoming, I deliberately went into robbery because I must cater for my well-being and continue to treat the sore.”

The suspect, confessing to the investigator, said his receiver, Samuel (surname withheld), was his benefactor and he also accommodated him when he had no place to live.

Samuel, in his defence, said the suspect only told him he saw the phones on the ground on his way home.

“I met the suspect about five years ago. He was my neighbour at Isheri-Olofin. After I packed out of the house, we lost contact.

“All of a sudden he just showed up at my new residence at Unity Estate seeking for accommodation. I took pity of him and accommodated him. I never knew he was stealing those phones,” Samuel explained.

The receiver of the stolen goods also said: “He only told me he found them on the ground on his way home. Then, I decided to help him to sell them for N8, 000. Out of that money, he gave me just N2, 000.”

The image maker in charge of the state police command, Dolapo Badmos confirmed the arrest of the two suspects to Lagos Metro.

She also stated that the suspects had been transferred to the Lagos State Task Force on Environment and Other Related Offences, for prosecution.