We Formed A New Robbery Gang Inside SARS Cell – Suspects

FEMI Rasaq, a suspected notorious armed robber, who was paraded on July 16, 2015 at police headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan, after he was arrested by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Ibadan in connection with armed robbery, but who was granted bail when charged to court, is back in the SARS cell, as he was recently nabbed with others over a case of burglary.

It will be recalled that Femi was apprehended in 2015 while driving an unregistered Toyota Highlander skillfully decorated with ribbons, with the inscription “GROOM” on the number plate. But investigation revealed that the vehicle was snatched at gun point in Idi Iroko, Ogun State.

Other vehicles, including a Toyota Highlander, a Toyota Camry (muscle) and a Honda Accord car, were also recovered from the suspect.

Though released on bail after he was arraigned in court, Femi decided to toe the familiar pathway to crime, almost immediately after he regained his freedom, by forming a gang with other criminals he met in the cell while at SARS. But the hawks within the state police command soon picked him and his gang members on their way to disposing of their loot.

Speaking with Crime Reports on the arrest of the three-man gang, the state Commissioner of Police, Leye Oyebade gave the names of other gang members as Adenle Olusola and Paul Olaitan. Also arrested was one Sani Abdulahi, said to be the one receiving stolen goods from the gang and other criminals.

According to Oyebade, the suspects broke into a house at Egbeda area of Ibadan and stole electronics and other items. “Though the house had no occupant when they broke in, they had intended to attack the victims if there was any, as they were armed with a gun,” he said.
Crime Reports had an interview session with the suspects. Below are the excerpts of their confession:

Femi Rasaq (23)

I was once arrested by the Oyo State Police Command and three vehicles were recovered from me. I was charged to court on December 8, 2015 and granted bail. The case is still in court and the next adjournment date is February 24. I was arrested again by the police on January 9, 2016 for burgling a house at Oluwo area of Egbeda Community, Ibadan.

I formed a robbery gang with Olaitan Paul and Adenle Olusola. We met inside the cell at SARS. We came there based on different cases. I had no discussion with Paul then. When he was being taken to court, I gave him my father’s number for him to assist me in calling and asking him for his forgiveness.

But while telling each other the story behind our arrests in the cell, Olusola told me that after I must have regained freedom, I should look for vehicles to snatch, promising that he would help me perfect the documents and secure new number plates for them.
Actually, I don’t like the situation I have found currently myself. It is not that I desired to go back to crime. What happened was that after my arrest in 2015 and subsequent release on bail, it was difficult returning to Badagry where my home was before my arrest.

This was because leaders of Ajara community where I lived with my father held a meeting with my family and excommunicated us. They said they watched me on the TV and heard the news of my robbery escapades. Sola and Paul were at the meeting also.
On the day I was charged to court, Olusola came to court. He used to call my father before then but didn’t tell him we met in the cell. I started living with Olusola in Ikire after I was granted bail.

I went to Idi Iroko to procure a locally-made gun for N10,000. I also got nine live cartridges from two of my friends.
The three of us left Badagry for Ikire but I was afraid of going back to crime. I was further discouraged when Olusola’s girlfriend came from Lagos and offered to get us jobs, but Olusola hurriedly dismissed her, saying he didn’t want her to stall our plans.

It was Paul who suggested we go for burglary and was the one who located the house we went into. The first time we went to the house, we scaled the fence and took three laptops which we gave to Olusola. He sold them to someone at Sabo.

We went the second time with Olusola’s car and packed the items we stole in the car. In the morning, when we wanted to leave, the car did not start. I called Olusola and he came with a mechanic. We managed the car to an auto workshop, but later called a taxi into which the items were transferred.
It was while we were taking the items to Sabo that policemen stopped us. They searched the vehicle and saw the gun I bought in my bag. They discovered that we stole the items after they interrogated us. I would not have gone back to crime if not for Olusola who encouraged me.

Paul Olaitan (20)

I first found myself in SARS cell after I was arrested for burglary at Alakia area of Ibadan. No one taught me house burglary. It was a guy who suggested it to me after I destroyed some plasma TVs and other items in a sachet water factory where I worked, when my boss refused to pay my salary arrears.

I was taken to Airport police station where I met the guy. He told me that I should have planned to steal and sell the TVs, instead of destroying them. He disclosed that buyers were always available at Sabo. After my release, I started to steal phones from where they were being charged.

I met Femi in SARS cell and we used to eat together. When I was charged to court from SARS in 2015, I was remanded in prison until my mother came to perfect my bail two months after. She pleaded with the complainant and the case was withdrawn from court. It was that case that my made my stepfather to divorce my mother. I am the only child she had for my father before she remarried.

I went to court on the day Femi was to be arraigned and saw Sola. I used to see him in Agodi prisons. He offered me accommodation so I went to join him. When Femi came out, the three of us planned how to go and burgle a house I had noticed at Oluwo community as unoccupied. This was after each of us complained of lack of money.

Adenle Sola (38)

I was arrested in 2015 for buying a stolen car from a friend. I was arraigned in court and remanded in prison when I could not fulfil bail condition. I left prison after a month when the bail conditions were perfected.

Before then, Femi and I had discussed in SARS cell on how he could dispose of stolen vehicles, and I told him that I knew someone who could do a perfect job of it. I was charged to court before him. I saw Paul when I went to court on adjournment date. That was how he lamented that he had nowhere to live, and I asked him to join me.

I knew when Femi went to purchase gun. He didn’t tell me when he and Paul first went to burgle, but they brought three laptops to me and I helped them to sell them for N10,000. We used the money to feed ourselves.
My car was used by Femi and Paul to load the items stolen from the house they burgled the second time. It is not as if we enjoy being in police cell but as things are now, we are just asking for forgiveness.

Sani Abdulahi (23)

I have been engaged in buying stolen properties for four years. Paul had once sold a Samsung LED TV 32” to me and he gave me the receipt. He called me recently, saying that there was a Yahoo guy who wanted to sell some items. He promised to bring the items to me. I was surprised when he came with police to arrest me. I knew that some of those who bring items to me used to steal them.