Taiwo was arrested at the weekend by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad, RRS of the state Police Command for allegedly robbing an 81-year-old woman in her apartment at Oduduwa Street in the Itire area of the state.
The syndicate robbed their unnamed victim of a box containing assorted jewelry and a total sum of N7m.
In his confession before reporters at the RRS’s Headquarters, Taiwo said his ringleader who is now at large, masterminded the crime.
He said, “The ring leader is an herbalist who invited me into the robbery and promised to give me 50 percent from the loot.”
On how they got clue before carrying out the operation, Taiwo said, “The mastermind is a herbalist. He was treating one of the woman’s daughters who had sore in her right foot.
“Whenever the lady visited him for treatment, he was always stylishly collecting information about her mother from her.
“Unknown to the lady, he had collected all necessary descriptions and information needed to perpetuate the robbery. After a while, he told me that we have a special operation.
“He further told me that his patient (the woman’s daughter) must not be aware because we were going to their house to rob her mother.
“We carried out the robbery successfully. We gained entrance into the two-storey building and headed straight to the old woman’s flat.
“From our preliminary investigation, we got to know that the first flat opposite the entrance gate was theirs. We went straight inside the flat without any stress. We met our victim sitting on the prayer mat inside the living room.
“We dragged and threatened her with cutlass and axe to surrender all her belongings including foreign currencies with her or else we will waste her life; so she cooperated with us and handed over a bag filled with both Nigeria and foreign currencies.
“We also forcefully collected her gold jewelry box but on our way out, we overheard the voice of the old woman who was crying and shouting for help.
“Unknown to us, RRS operatives who were patrolling the area, overheard her voice. As we were rushing out to escape from the house, the operatives sighted us and we took to our heels.
“Immediately, the policemen made a hot chase which led to my arrest and my accomplice managed to escape with the local and foreign currencies while the jewelry box was retrieved from me.”
Taiwo recounted their earlier operation and how they went about it.
He said, “Before now, we have robbed one innocent man along Okota Road of his N200, 000. My gang leader is a very powerful herbalist. He uses charms and knows when you have money on you.
“The first day I followed him to rob was a day when we went to Okota Road. On getting there, he saw one man along Okota Road, and he pointed at the man and told me the man had money on him. We moved closer to the man and he recited some incantations, and to my surprise, that man handed over his money to us.
“Out of that money, he gave me just N11, 000,” Taiwo added.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Superintendent of Police, SP Dolapo Badmus, who paraded the suspect, said “The command is making effort to arrest the gang leader.
“Police will leave no stone unturned to nip crimes at bud in the state.
“The suspect has been transferred to Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, for further investigation,” the PPRO stated.
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