Policemen in Lagos have arrested three suspected members of One Million boys armed-robbery gang terrorizing the Badagry area of Lagos State. The three men arrested are: Sodiq Yinusa, Azeez Ajadi and Idris Abdulganiyu. It was gathered that the suspects were apprehended by the Area K Command, Morogbo, while they were allegedly attempting to rob a church in the J4 area of Seme, Badagry, during a vigil. The policemen also recovered a double-barreled locally-made pistol and a toy gun from the suspects. However, the armed-robbers have denied they came to rob. According to one of the thieves, 25-year-old Ajadi said the three of them ran out of transport fare after they visited their friend in the area, and they decided to go to the church to beg for transport fare when the policemen arrested them. He denied being a member of the dreaded One Million boys robbery gang.
“ I am not a One Million boys’ member. The tattoos on my body are just for fashion. The two others and I went to visit our friend in the area, and we ran out of transport money. It was around 11pm. “We were stranded and we did not know where to turn to for help. Fortunately, we saw a church holding a vigil and we decided to go there. A man was bathing in a shed near the church. We explained our plight to him.“Instead, he ran away and alerted a vigilance group that brought the police to arrest us.” He said.
Another of the suspected armed- gang member, Yinusa from Ede, Osun State who is just 22-years said:“I do not know where the police brought these guns. I dropped out of secondary school, and I am learning a trade. We had gone to the J4 area to see a friend, not for robbery. “My parents are at home in Seme. They have warned me not to call them again. They are afraid of the police.”
However while speaking about the incident and how the armed-robbers were arrested, a police source revealed that the boys came to the area to rob. He revealed the suspected armed-robbers were nabbed with the help of Vigilante group in the area and guns were recovered from them.
“When they were arrested at the church, they claimed to have lost their transport fare. But how could three men move from Okokomaiko to Seme, Badagry, without having transport fare? They initially drank and lurked in the area till 11pm when it was most conducive for them to strike. Then they stormed the church.“We are still looking for other gang members. It was with the help of the vigilance group that the suspects were arrested.” the source said. The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, said the suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigations were concluded.