A 23 year old man has been detained for allegedly attempting to rob a motorist at 7up junction, Ikosi Road in the Ketu local government area of Lagos State. Jeda Sarumi has been held in custody by members of the Oodua People’s Congress.
Afeez Alago, a member of the OPC said the suspect belonged to a gang of thieves that robbed in traffic every night.
He said, “I was at the security post around 9pm last Thursday when some guys and a lady brought this man to us. They said his gang members collected their phones and money at 7-up Bus Stop.”
A victim, Michael Ugo said that he was heading for Lagos around 7pm from Lotto, Ogun State, when his phone rang.
“I slowed down along the 7-up Bus Stop to check who was calling me. I did not know those boys were around. As I tried to park, one of them just grabbed the phone from me from the steering.
“I quickly came out of the car, trying to negotiate with them, but they opened their shirts and I saw sharp machetes and cutlass. I moved forward to see if I could know where they disappeared to, but I couldn’t get sight of them. As I returned to where I parked, I saw a young boy and a woman, who was crying that some boys just harassed her. I just knew they were the same boys. So, I and the other guy decided to hang around; we knew they might return.
“After 30 minutes, we saw a car driving by and this guy here (Sarumi) was trying to collect the man’s phone through the car window but the driver held his hand and started driving him together with the phone. He decided to let go of the suspect’s hand at 7-Up Bus Stop; we noticed he had no weapon so we started chasing him and we caught him. We dragged him to the OPC station around Ikosi. We wanted him to provide our phones but he said his gang members had taken the phones and promised to take us to where they live in Ogun State”, he explained.
A student of the Federal University of Oye-Ekiti, Timilehin Philip, said he was almost stabbed because he was struggling to retrieve his Samsung phone from the hoodlums.
The suspect, Sarumi, who is an indigene of Ijebu Ode in Ogun State, said he was a fashion designer, and it was his first attempt at robbing along that area.
He said, “I am a fashion designer. I am 23 years old. It was my friends that pushed me into stealing. I had stopped stealing and was living with my in-law because I am an orphan. But my in-law, whom I sold saving boxes for, said I must return his N5,000 which I took, before he would allow me to stay in his house or do business for him again.
“Since then, I have been sleeping in Ketu Market with my friends. I sold fruits for Mallams there every evening, but my friends used to have plenty of money, so I decided to join them.”