[size=18pt]‘I joined robbery gang to attack my former employer’[/size]

Adelowo Oladipo, Lagos - Updated: Tuesday 12-06-2009


The suspectsRECENTLY, when a construction company (name withheld) with its headquarters based in Ikoyi area of Lagos State, carried out a retrenchment exercise, hardly did it occur to the management of the company that one of the retrenched staff members, could lead a gang of armed robbers to attack the company.

Crime and Security however, gathered that the affected 24-year-old ex-staff of the company, identified as Gafar Oshiagbe, had no reason to embark on the act as he claimed that he was satisfied with the amount paid to him by the company as compensation for his retrenchment.

But no sooner than he was retrenched from the construction company, that some of his peer groups who had been nursing the idea of carrying out a robbery operation on the company, approached him and convinced him as an insider, on the need to rob the company to make money and get some valuable assets.

Crime and Security learnt that because Gafar was out of job and was looking for an opportunity of generating more income, before he finished spending the money paid him as severance allowance by his former employers, he agreed to join his friends to rob the company.

Nemesis, however, caught up with Gafar and his gang members, on their way to the company to carry out the robbery operation, as they were arrested by the police, following a tip-off, thereby terminating their plans.

Crime and Security further gathered that no sooner than the suspected robbery gang members were arrested by the anti-robbery police team attached to Apapa Police Station, that information also filtered to Festac Police Station, which quickly ordered for the transfer of some members of the gang to come and answer for some of the crimes they had allegedly committed in the area.

The robbery syndicate included Tosin, Tope Aladeseyi and Innocent Squavon.

In a brief encounter with Gafar Ohiagbe in Lagos, he confessed to the crime, adding that bad peer influence was responsible for his involvement in the aborted robbery plans.

He further stated that the construction company paid him averagely well, after he was relieved of his job, a week before the robbery attempt on the company.

“But prior to my arrest, I was invited to the Victoria Island, office of the company by one of my friends, Ifeanyi, who is still working with the company.

“On my arrival at the company’s premises, he asked me why I had refused to honour an earlier invitation that I should come and visit him at the company and I lied to him, that it was because I had no transport fares”, said Gafar.

He, however, told Crime and Security that the main reason for his refusal to visit the company again was that he had been sacked and paid off by the management, and as such, he would not want to be seen hanging around the company’s premises again.

Gafar further disclosed that on his arrival at the company on the fateful Monday morning, the said Ifeanyi, who was not affected by the retrenchment exercise, allegedly invited him to be a part of a robbery operation against the company.

The suspect however, stated that he accepted to be part of the gang, without thinking about the implication of his decision.

“In fact, the company did not offend me because I was satisfied with the amount given to me as my severance allowance and as such, I was grateful to the company”, just as he pleaded that the company’s management should forgive him for being part of the robbery gang, whose plan was frustrated by the police.” http://www.tribune.com.ng/15062009/tue/crime1.html

That's really sad, he didn't even have a good enough reason to join armed robbery, and in this case he should not hold his peers responsible, he should hold himself responsible, his peers do not share the same brain as him. Stupidity is not a good thing

a bad excuse is berra than none,

Robberies!Robberies!!! and more Robbery.

At the end of the day, it's always an insider.Person need to dey careful with insiders.

What an excuse!!!!, I'm sorry for this little looney.