Hyacinth Chinweuba
A father of two, Olayinka Arowogbola who was arrested by men of the Lagos State Police Command for armed robbery has attributed his fate to poverty and peer pressure.
The suspect was arrested alongside six of his gang members who had been terrorizing commuters in Lagos especially those plying the Oshodi/Mile 2 axis.
Arowogbola who was paraded by the Acting Commissioner of Police, regretted that he was arrested in front of his children.
According to CP Imohimi, the suspects were arrests on October 27th, 2017 at about 1:45a m with five operational vehicles. He said, ” One Segun Adeniyi aged 35years, one Lucky Thompson aged 36years, one Ke nneth Okogie aged 30years, one Andrew Hez ekiah aged 29years, one Lucky Udeni aged 2 8years, one Tunde Olagunju aged 32years a nd one Olayinka Arowogbola aged 28years who are known as ‘Catch on the Air’. They specialized in dispossessing passenge rs of their belongings and robbing them at g un-point at Lagos Oshodi-Apapa Expresswa y/Charity Bus-Stop Oshodi and Mafoluku an d were intercepted and arrested by operative s of the command within the Lagos State Me tropolis. “Suspects confessed to the crimes and a Vol kswagen Fanagon bus with Reg. No. KJA 55 5 XN, Volkswagen Fanagon bus with Reg. N o. EKY 678 XT, Volkswagen Fanagon bus wit h EST 362 XN, Volkswagen Fanagon bus wit h Reg. No. APP 820 XE, all painted in Lagos State commercial colour and one black Lexu s RX 300 Jeep with Reg. No. LSR 861 ER use d as their operational vehicles in committing the crimes were recovered from them.” in his confessional statement, Arowogbola d enied being involved in armed robbery. He al leged he was only a pick-pocket operator an d from time to time followed one chance veh icles. He said he got into the act in 2015. “Basicall y, poverty led me into it. I had two children a nd a wife to take care of and my mechanic jo b wasn’t yielding enough income to sustain t he family.
” When I got involved in pick-pocket, I was m aking between N10,000 to N15,000 for each operation. Most times we would steal phone s, cash and other valuables from our victims . “For the two years I had been involved in this , my wife never knew what I was into. My pai n is that I was arrested in front of my childre n. I just feel disappointed in myself and don’t know how to face them If I do get out of this. On how he was arrested, he said, “there is a neighbour who is also a colleague in Ojo roa d. The police had come to arrest him but the y didn’t see him. So I guess the informant ha d also told them that I was also into same ac t so they came to my house and arrested me .” While in tears he said, “I used to sell second hand cloths. But due to family needs and pe er pressure, I went into pick-pocket.
I am an SSS 2 drop out who had two children to take care of and pick-pocket was giving me more money to pay my bills.” For Olagunju, the story was different as he cl aimed he used to follow one-chance vehicle but had since quit the act. The Oyo born said, ” On Sunday at about pas t 10pm, I had gone to my wife’s shop where she sells drinks at Wilmer to pick her up. Ju st few minutes after getting there, I saw peo ple running due to police presence.
I just sto od in front of my wife’s shop and suddenly t he police came and arrested me. ” I thought it was just one of those police rai d where after they are able to identify you as a law abiding citizen you would be freed. I w as however surprised when I was taken to th e Police Headquarters in Ikeja and was told I had been arrested for my involvement in one chance activity. ” The fact remains that I used to be involved in pick pocket crime before I turned a new le ave. I have not been involved in it for over six months now and have been assisting my wif e in her business. “I am a trained electrician and I have two chil dren and the money for the business was fro m a loan of N500,000 my wife had collected which we are even still paying back. On his strategy while in he said, “I enter a bu s and I just sit close to a person and I will re move whatever I want from their bags or poc ket and then alight without them noticing. He also alleged his environment influenced his involvement in the crime. Riliwan Bamidele 20 years old said, ” they ca me to the house to look for my uncle whom I have been living with for just three month. H e hadn’t come home for about a week but ne ver explained why.
The police came around 4am on Monday to look for Arowole saying h e is a one chance operator. “I never knew he was into such and I am ver y much disappointed in him. I am a seconda ry school graduate and an applicant.” The Commissioner of Police noted that the s uspects will be charged to court when invest igations are completed.