The sleepy Jakande estate, under
Ejigbo Local Development
Council Area, Lagos, was recently
thrown into panic following
reports of robbery attacks both
during the day and at night.
Reports said the dare-devils
always devised a clever way of
avoiding policemen on patrol
whenever they want to operate.
Residents of the area told
Vanguard Metro that before
now, the robbers concentrated
on motorists plying the Oke-Afa
bridge, where their helpless
victims were dispossessed of
cash, GSM handsets and other
valuables.
They later shifted their operation
to shop owners inside the estate,
following the killing of eight
members of the notorious
robbery gang by policemen
attached to Ejigbo and Isolo
divisions during a shoot-out last
year. At the end of the gun duel
said to have lasted close to an
hour, the policemen reportedly
uncovered a spare part shop
near the bridge where the
robbers used as their armoury.
With their attention
shifted to Jakande
estate, the dare
devils who are
usually armed,
carried a shop-to-
shop operation,
releasing sporadic
shots to scare away
intruders as they
escaped from the
scene, leaving the
residents in
trepidation.
The worrisome
development
reportedly took a
heightened
dimension when
pharmaceutical
stores in the estate
became the robber’s regular
port of call. But not resting on its
oars, the Ejigbo Police division
reportedly intensified its
surveillance and patrol around
the estate, leading to the arrest
of a suspected member of a six-
man gang recently.
The robbery gang, as usual,
stormed the estate in broad day
light, on two motorcycles.
Eyewitnesses said they stormed a
shop around Junction shortly
after the owner opened for the
day and snatched her handbag
and other valuables. Not done,
they proceeded to other shops
where they reportedly collected
only cash. But unknown to them,
plain clothed policemen from
Ejigbo division had stationed
themselves strategically. On
sighting the policemen
approaching, the robbers
reportedly opened fire before
mounting their motorbikes and
fled the scene,with the police in
hot pursuit.
Luck ran against them at NNPC
Junction when a shot fired by the
policemen jolted the robbers,
thereby prompting one of them
to fall off the motorbike. Efforts
by his other colleagues to collect
the bag of money from their
injured colleague failed as they
managed to escape leaving the
wounded to his fate. In a chat
with VM, the suspect who gave
his name simply as Ismaila,
revealed that his gang was from
the densely populated Mushin
area. The 28-year-old Epe ,
Lagos State-born suspect who
resides in Ilasa area of the state,
explained his gang’s method of
operation.
“We are a gang of six members.
But I do not follow them always.
I have only gone on operation
with them five times. What we
steal are handsets. I joined the
gang after I left my elder sister’s
place in Ilasa for Idioro in
Mushin where I met Saheed,
Abbey, Wasiu and Sunday. The
gang leader is Saheed. We
operate around Mushin axis,
Ilasa and Jakande Estate. We
came to Jakande because there
are lots of rich shop owners
there.
“On the day I was caught, we
stormed the estate at about
1pm, where we saw one woman
who was just bringing out her
wares. We collected her money,
handset and neck chain. As we
were escaping from the police,
we encountered traffic and in my
attempt to jump and escape with
the bag of money, the policemen
caught me, while others fled with
the Okada,” he informed.
Asked who owned the locally-
made gun recovered from him,
he replied in an emotion-laden
voice:“ Saheed gave me the gun
to defend myself when he saw
me falling from the Okada. But
before I could pick it, I was
caught”.