Robbery operation is easier in Ghana than Nigeria – Suspect

By OKOSUN OKHUELEIGBE

An ex-convict arrested for robbery, Wasami Dennis, (32), has confessed that robbery operation is as easy as anything to carry out in Ghana than in Nigeria saying Ghanians are not security conscious.

The suspect was arrested at the weekend by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) in his hideout in Agbole Orile in Lagos.

The Abraka, Delta state born trans-border robbery suspect, was said to have been released about a year ago from Kirikiri prison after he was convicted for a break – in and run robbery incidence in Festac Town in Lagos.

Wasami said, “I was just released from prison about a year ago. I was caught in possession of a stolen laptop from Ghana along with three machetes hidden inside the walls of my hideout.

“I am an expert at break – in- robbery. I operated in Ghana, along West African Coast; breaking into people’s homes and making away with their properties and personal effects like mobile phones, laptops, jewelleries and other personal effects. I used to bring the stolen items to Nigeria to sell. I have a ready market for them in Lome and Lagos.”

Narrating that his four months imprisonment in Kirikiri opened his eyes to so many things added that he had repented before from his old ways emphasizing that he has turned new leaf shortly after he was released from the Kirikiri prison almost a year ago.

Explaining more about items found in his abode added, “Those two machetes found inside my apartment in Agbole Orile belong to Area Boys operating at the garage nearby. They kept them there in case of any crisis among them and there is the need to use it. These boys are called Spartacus – trouble makers. They are always at the junction. I don’t know anything about it and I never knew they were there.

“For now, I work in Lagos Island where I help connect customers to sellers who want to buy children clothing. I earn commission from this and that is how I earn my livelihood”, he said.

Before he relocated to Lagos from Delta state, Wasami said he was a school dropout from Sapele Technical College. “I came to Lagos to learn music at Art PEFTI and Sound Engineering at Life-Line Studio, Alade Estate, Allen Avenue in Ikeja. After this, my father opened a shop for me, where I was managing before things became difficult for me.

“I decided to go into robbery – house breaking and stealing – to survive. I have been into it for about six years. I have operated in more than five houses in Lagos. All the houses are in Festac area because I know much about the area very well.

He continued: “My major operations were in Ghana because Ghanians are not security conscious unlike Nigeria where security is tight. In Ghana, nobody would challenge you. All the items that I stole are from Ghana. I did sell some at Lome, Togo and some in Lagos. I have a large number of people that buy the stolen goods from me in Lagos.”

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He identified in his confessional statement some buyers of his stolen items who are resident in Lagos. “Among those I sold the stolen items to are: Qudus, I.K, Hapier, Stanley and Kelvin.

“If I have large quantities of items I want to dispose, Qudus was always the right man for me to call.  He would come to me, collect the items, sell them and return the money. I.K, buys stolen items in large quantity too from me. He once had a shop in Church Street junction, Oshodi but presently he has left the country and now in China,” he narrated.

Even though he alleged that he has not gone for any operation recently, pointed out that his last operation was in Festac Town and that was what led to his arrest and subsequently, imprisonment at Kirikiri. Since I came back, I have never gone into breaking in and stealing’, he explained.

The Lagos State Police spokesperson, DSP Joe Offor who confirmed the arrest of the suspect said Wasami was assisting RRS operatives in search of the buyers of the stolen goods, adding that the police would do everything possible to reduce crime to the barest minimum in the state.