Kunle ADELABU
It was end of the road for two suspected rice thieves who were, on Thursday (yesterday), nabbed by the local vigilante group in Ikorodu, Onyabo.
The suspects, Tope Faleye, a.k.a ‘Eniba’, married man with a kid and an indigene of Osun State and Gbenga Osibanjo, 21, a.k.a ‘Biggie’ , from Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State, are residents of Owutu and Ladega in Ikorodu respectively.
Both suspects were nabbed for breaking into a shop at Ajina in Ikorodu around 3am on Sunday, January 20, 2019, and carted away over 60 bags of rice and beans.
Over #200,000 cash was equally stolen during the operation.
They, however, confessed in an interview with our reporter to have also robbed in Ijebu-Igbo, Ibafo and Abeokuta.
Faleye, who claimed to be working as a ticket issuer at Mile 12, was apprehended at a carnival on Wednesday night by the members of the Onyabo led by Mr Lanre Olabinjo who had been on his trail since Sunday.
He stated that he was called to participate in the operations in Ijebu-Igbo, Ibafo, Abeokuta by Gbenga and other members of his gang.
“It was Biggie (Mr Gbenga Osibajo) that called me that his sister who is into rice selling business offended him and he wanted her to be dealt with. He claimed that she is stingy and doesn’t help her siblings.
“We went there with a car and its driver to burgle her shop and carted away bags of rice. After the operation, our boss gave me N30,000 and also gave Biggie N30, 000, although, Biggie that brought the job did not follow us to Ijebu-Igbo for the operation.
“After that, he (their boss) also took us to Mowe-Ibafo where we did another operation and I was again given N30,000 and he gave Biggie about N25,000.
“The information for the operation at Ajina on Sunday was given to us by one Ola (currently at large). As usual, our Alaye (boss) brought his vehicle for the operation.
“It was Ola that was telling us the route that we took to our victim’s shop. He knew where Onyabo men are in and around Ladega and he was able to pilot us safely to our target shop where we operated under his watch.
He stated that the Ajina operation was carried out by himself, Ayomide (the driver) and the informant, Ola.
“It was Ola that broke into the shop and thereafter, we loaded the bags of rice into the vehicle. After the operation, I was given N30, 000 and Ola was given N25,000 and we went our seperate ways”.
Gbenga Osibanjo, who said that he came to Ikorodu about 2 months ago and was squatting with a friend at Ladega, told our reporter that he fled Ijebu-Igbo to escape raid by the police and local vigilantes.
He confessed to have asked his gang to robbed his sister’s shop at Ijebu-igbo last November and also participated in other operations outside Ikorodu.
Gbenga was apprehended on Thursday morning after Faleye confessed to his participation in the gang operations.
He disclosed that he became friend with Faleye about a month ago but denied the knowledge of Ajina operation.
He also stated that he is aware of the gang involvement in burgling of rice shops.
Speaking about the Ijebu-Igbo’s operations, Gbenga also confessed to have sent his gang to rob his aunt, Mrs Suliat, whom he said offended him and is very stingy.
“It is true that I gave them the job, but it was him (Faleye) that asked if I knew anybody that owns a rice shop.
“It was then that a rice shop owned by my aunt, who is very stingy and not caring for others, came to mind. She had also offended me before.
“The woman is very rich but she doesn’t know if we are existing. I gave them the location and other necessary details but I did not follow them to the operation at Ijebu-Igbo.
“They carted away about 20 bags of rice and I was sent my share which was N10,000 but I did not know what they did with the stolen bags of rice.
“I only participated in their operations outside Lagos State but I have never involved in any within Lagos. The Ijebu-Igbo operation was sometime around last November while the one at Abeokuta was in December 2018.
Although, both suspects confessed to be members of the Eiye Confraternity, they, however, denied involving in any cult fight in or outside Ikorodu.
The owner of the burgled shop, Alhaja Balikis Oluguna, popularly known as ‘Iya Isila’, stated that she lost over 60 bags of rice and beans to the robbery and that the robbers carted away huge sum of money kept in the shop.
“They burgled my rice shop last Saturday night and early morning on Sunday and carted away 65 bags of rice. They also carted away half bags of rice that I usually displayed on the table as well as a bag of honey beans.
“They also broke into the safe and stole money which I don’t know the exact amount and the N230,000 in my drawer.”.
Alhaja Oluguna told THE IMPACT that one of the suspects (Biggie) came to her children after the incident to tell them that he saw the robbers while they were breaking into the shop but could not raise alarm.
“I do not know any of the suspects, but the one among them whom I suspected came in the afternoon to monitor me and also came to my children to tell them that he saw the robbers around 3am while they were breaking into my shop but that he could not raise alarm.
The victim, who claimed that she had been robbed on two separate occasions, said that she stocked her shop with the loan she got from the United Bank for Africa (UBA).
She begged that the suspects should confess where they had sold the goods they stole from her shop so that she could retrieve them.
“I have not been able to sleep since the incident occurred because I stocked my shop with UBA loan and those robbers did not leave anything in my shop. I’m begging Nigerians to help me appeal to them to reveal where they sold my goods so that I can retrieve them and get back into business.
“These people (robbers) should please leave me alone. This is my third experience. They had robbed me at gun point and on another occasion, they came into my shop through the ceiling”.
Meanwhile, Mr Lanre Olabinjo, the leader of the Onyabo Vigilance Group, speaking with THE IMPACT, stated that they are still on the trail of other suspects.
He added that the matter would be handed over to the police command for further investigation.
“We have been able to garner useful information through our investigations which which led to the apprehension of the two suspects. We are still on the trail of other suspects.
“As a vigilante group, we have concluded our own investigation and we are going to hand over the matter to the police command which we are still going to work with till the end of the investigation”.
Olabinjo assured that his group is still committed to protecting the lives and properties of Ikorodu residents.
