A member of a gang of robbers that specialises in drugging and robbing passengers in Lagos State told policemen how they perpetrate the act.
The member of the gang, identified as Chidi Umeh, 34 years old, was arrested at the Iyana Iba Ojo area of the state, after one of their victims slumped in a commercial vehicle and was rushed to a hospital in the area. Saturday Mirror gathered that angry motorists would have lynched Chidi but he was rescued and apprehended by passers-by, who later handed him over to the police in the area. Following his arrest, the suspect told policemen how the gang members drug unsuspecting passengers in commercial buses and rob them.
He said, “ I am a petty trader. I sell second hand clothes in Ajangbadi area of Lagos state.
I hussle to keep alive and provide for my family but the money I earn is not enough to cater for my needs and that of my family. Sometimes last year, I met a fellow trader called Eze. Eze deals on second hand materials like clothes and other accessories. It was Eze that introduced me to drugging passengers. We are not the only ones in the business of drugging passenger. Almost all the traders selling second hand clothes in that area are engaged in this business of drugging commercial bus passengers. He was the one that convinced me with the idea of drugging passengers in commercial vehicles.
We usually board commercial vehicles filled with a lot of passengers and what Eze does is to wait when one of the passengers wants to buy water or anything to eat from hawkers, he will try to render assistance to buy the item for the person. When nobody is watching, he injects the drinks and foods with sleeping drugs, which makes such targeted passenger to sleep off. Eze, usually carried syringe in his pocket, which he laced with the sleeping pills.”
Narrating how the gang members rob their target, Chidi said, “We are professionals in the crime so what we do is that after the targeted passenger had drank the drugged water or the food they bought, they will sleep off in the vehicle and this will give us ample time to search them to steal from them. We usually target passengers along the Lagos – Badagry expressway. Most of them are traders and we search them and steal money, mobile phones and other valuables when they are fast asleep. From watching Eze, I noticed that he targeted passengers that purchase pure water ( satchet water).
Eze has a way of injecting the satchet water with the sleeping drugs so that the person will drink and fall sleep without other passengers noticing. On that fateful day I was arrested, Eze had drugged the man’s satchet water and after he fell asleep, he stole money from him and he escaped. I was not lucky. I tried to escape but I was apprehended.” Saturday Mirror gathered that the case was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department Panti, Yaba, for further investigations. It was gathered that the case is being treated as a case of attempted murder, which is a bail-able offence. Somehow they find out that the victim identified as Razak was revived in the hospital and he is assisting detectives with the investigation. The victim in his statement to the police however claimed that the gang after drugging him, stole N140,000 from him. He said “ I remember that I bought satchet water on the road from a hawker during a trip along the Lagos – Badagry expressway.
I started feeling sick so I tried to sleep. I don’t know when I slumped in the vehicle and was rushed to the hospital. I woke up only to find out that my business money has been stolen from my pocket. I had N140,000 on me but they stole it. I want my money back so I can face my business “. Chidi however claimed they did not steal N140,000 from the victim as he maintained that the victim did not have such amount in his pocket.
He said: “The man (Razak) did not have N140,000 on him. He probably had about N25,000 on him .I am willing to pay him the money even though this is my first time in this crime “. Police sources informed Saturday Mirror that they have began a manhunt for Eze and other members of the gang

upon being caught, the next excuse is "I'm a trader,I need money to expand my business, or I am a hustler,i need money to keep my family alive"
who told you victims are well to do people?
anyways, R I K