by ‘Jola Sotubo

Eight persons suspected to be armed robbers have been arrested and were yesterday paraded by operatives of the Lagos State Police Command.

The robbers, one of whom is a married and pregnant mother of two identified as Taiwo Obafunsho, are suspected of conducting robbery operations during one of which they allegedly killed two police officers.

Obafunsho, who is 3 months pregnant, reportedly said that she was influenced in her decision to join the gang by a friend.

Vanguard Newspaper reports:

The other suspects are Ife Olubaba, 29 who is the alleged gang leader; Saheed Wasiu, 23; Sedu Idowu 20; Wasiu Rafiu, 23; Odelade Kabiru, 26; Waliu Sanni, 29, and Taiye Agege said to be dead.

The suspects were found with two AK-47 rifles, one automatic pump-action gun, four locally-made pistols, two fully-loaded AK-47 magazines, 135 live cartridges and a Hyundai Tucson sports utility vehicle, number plate MUS 350 BG.

Rafiu said: “The first operation we went for was at Agege and I was given N10,000. I was arrested at Oshodi.

“I did not know anything about it. But because they saw Taiye and me together, I was arrested. I did not even know what was happening. I did not follow them during the second operation.”

Another suspect, Sanni, said they took three vehicles for the operation, but that they did not find anything or any body to rob.

The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Ngozi Braide, confirmed the incident, stating that it was a follow-up to what happened on November 3, where some robbers attacked policemen attached to Iju Police Station in Lagos at 3a.m.

She said: “On October 9, when a group of armed robbers carted away two police rifles, the Commissioner of Police, Umar Manko, directed the officer in charge of SARS Ikeja, SP Abba Kyari, to launch a massive manhunt for the robbers and recover the snatched rifles.

“Police efforts paid off when eight of the armed robbers, led by one Ife Olubaba, a boy to Godogodo, kingpin of South-West armed robbers, were arrested at various locations in Lagos and Ogun states.

“During the exchange of fire between the armed robbers and crack SARS operatives, one Taiye Agege was fatally wounded.”

She said all the arrested suspects confessed to have taken part in the Iju operation, where Policemen were fired. She said efforts were on to arrest the remaining gang members.