I was a butcher but started buying stolen vehicles in 2012 - Suspect

MOHAMMED Nura, a 33-year-old indigene of Kano State, rode like a colossus in the crime world until his arrest by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Lagos State police command. He was alleged to be a receiver of stolen and snatched vehicles, having formed alliances with different robbery gangs before the door was shut against their criminal activities after the snatching of a Honda CRV in Lagos State.

The suspect was said to be skilled in moving the stolen vehicles to Niger Republic where they were sold to unsuspecting persons. He was said to have remained on the wanted list of the police for about five years.

Saturday Tribune gathered that when he learned about the arrest of some members of one of the gangs, Nura fled to Niger Republic. But he was lured out by greed after a member of another gang called and informed him about some available ‘merchandise.’

 He was arrested in Nigeria while negotiating with the gang member by a team of SARS operatives from Lagos, who had technologically monitored his movements.
Nura was recently paraded at the Lagos State police command with members of the two robbery gangs he worked with. Members of one of the gangs include Chekwube Stanley Emeka, Ejike and Nanven Ndam Bali. Jacob Ali, Yohanna Titus and Augustine Richard, all of whom are graduates, belong to the second gang.

Recovered from them were two locally-made guns, four live cartridges, one Honda CRV with registration number LSD 322 CK, a Peugeot car with registration number AU 380 KWL, a Toyota Camry with registration number GRZ 42 AA and a Honda Accord car with registration number KSF 95 DB.

Below are excerpts from the interviews with the suspects, conducted at the SARS office:
Mohammed Nura
I am from Kano State but based in Kafanchan, Kaduna State. I am married with two children.

What is the offence you were arrested for?
I was arrested for buying stolen property.
Why did you choose that kind of business?
I didn’t choose it willingly. I was a butcher but I started buying stolen vehicles in 2012. One Samuel introduced me to the business. I met him in Abuja. There was one boy who gave me a car to sell for him but I didn’t know how to get a buyer. I kept the car for almost three months. One Suleiman in Kafanchan later promised to link me with a buyer. He called me Samuel and we exchanged numbers.
Samuel later called me and asked how I came about the car and I confessed to him that it was a ‘problem’ car. He directed me to a man in Kano called Bashir. That was how I started the business with him. He used to take the vehicles we received to Niger Republic to sell.
I met Titus Yohanna’s gang in 2013 and I was given only one car. We didn’t meet again until the day I was arrested when they called me that they had another vehicle. Chekwube’s gang had given me five cars

How did you meet Chekwube?
I met him through one Sunny who is based in Abuja. I was in a police station over a vehicle and when Sunny sighted Chekwube at the same station, he told me about Chekwube, saying that he used to give him ‘market.’

How do you feel after your arrest?
I feel very bad because I had a business I was doing. I was in Agege abattoir in Lagos for almost 10 years. I advise everyone not to go into crime. I remember when my wife would wake me up in the night and plead that I should stop receiving stolen vehicles. She said that she was ready to suffer and would continue to be my wife if I didn’t have enough money to feed her.
When I got information that the police were looking for me, I told my wife about it and she advised me to change all my lines and travel out of the country. I went to Niger Republic but got arrested the day I came back to Nigeria. I have not made any fortune from crime; I don’t even have a personal house. Right now, my wife is back in her father’s house with my two children (starts weeping).
Chekwube Stanley Emeka

I am from Asaba, Delta State. I am 32 years old and married with three children. I am based in Lagos. I attended the University of Lagos between 2000 and 2005, after which I obtained a degree in Accounting. I served in Anambra State.
After service, I tried to get a job by applying to several banks but I was not successful. I started working at Wharf, Apapa, Lagos State, as a clearing agent but travelled to Cote d’Ivoire in search of a better life. I returned to Nigeria and travelled to South Africa in 2011. I stayed there for almost two years before coming back to Nigeria.

When did you start robbery?
I started robbery in 2014, out of greed. I wanted to get out of Nigeria with my entire family and that required a lot of money.
Why did you choose the path of crime to make such money?
 I don’t know what came over me.

How did you come about the idea of engaging in robbery?
I was working with one man, Mr John, at Seme border. I used to help him bring cars into Nigeria. He has left Nigeria for overseas. When he was travelling, he gave me his locally-made guns to keep for him. I believe he was using them to protect himself, not for robbery.
A man in Cotonou, Benin Republic, who was working with Mr John at Seme had earlier given me the idea of snatching cars. He told me that people used to bring cars and if I could get some people to give me cars that I would bring to Cotonou, I could make some money.
I started using the guns to rob. I called my friend, Ejike, in 2014 and told him we could make money from using the guns to steal cars. Ejike offered his Honda car to be used for our operations.

At which places did you operate before you were arrested?
We operated at Onipanu, Ilupeju, Fadeyi and OPIC areas of Lagos.

What was your mode of operation?
Whenever we saw a vehicle parked with the owner inside it receiving a call or engaged, we would tap the window, show our guns and ask the person to come down from the car. We usually operated around 8.00 p.m. Our gang consisted four members – Ejike, Nanven, me and Tony, who is on the run. We have snatched Toyota Corolla, Mercedes Benz 4matic, Honda vehicles, Crosstour and others. They are up to 10 but we abandoned some because they were tracked.
How did you carry out the last operation that led to your arrest?
We saw the car parked at OPIC area, along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. Ejike and Tony came down from the vehicle and approached the owner. After taking control of the vehicle, they moved forward a bit and I joined them. I took it from them and delivered it to Nura’s boy, who was waiting for us at Berger.

Who is the receiver of the vehicles you have snatched?
It is Nura Mohammed?
How did you come in contact with him?
I met Nura in a police station in Abuja when I went to bail someone. He was also there to negotiate the release of his car impounded by the police. He approached me and said he was dealing in genuine and stolen cars and that I could be bringing cars for him.

How were you arrested?
I went to Berger in response to Nanven’s call to meet him there. On getting there, I was surrounded by policemen. I have not made more than between N500,000 and N600,000. I have used part of the money to process my travelling.
I feel so bad after my arrest. I am pleading for leniency. I am willing to write an undertaking that I will not get involved in crime again. For the sake of my family and my children, I don’t think I can go into such a thing again, because I love them so much. It is a shameful thing to be paraded as criminals.
Ejike Chukwuemeka (31) from Enugu State

How did you get into robbery?
I was into selling women wears before joining a robbery gang in 2014. It was Chekwube who shared the idea with me. I agreed to join him because I had problem with my business and I needed to raise money to bring revive it. I explained to him that I needed money and he promised to provide it.
 But I did not see him for a while. When I saw him again, I reminded him of our agreement and he promised to introduce me to a business, from which I would make money. That was how I got into robbery with him and I have not got more than N300, 000 as proceeds.

Which position did you occupy in the gang?
I was the second in command.
How do you feel after your arrest?
I feel so bad. I don’t know how to explain my foray into crime.
How many victims did you shoot?
I have never shot anyone. I have never heard the sound of a gun. I don’t even know how to use it. I have only held it.
Nanven Ndam Bali (39) from Plateau State
I was a driver with a freight forwarding company. I did odd jobs after leaving the company. I joined Chekwube’s robbery gang in 2014 after I got a respite from the injury on my leg.

How did you sustain the injury?
I was shot by the police in 2009 when I was trying to escape. I was operating One Chance (robbers who disguise as driver and conductor to rob passengers) with a friend, Sule. We didn’t use any weapon; we only used threat. When police chased us and tried to stop our vehicle, the friend ran away. As I wanted to alight from the bus, they shot at my left leg to stop me. After investigation, I was granted bail and my family took me to my state and I was admitted in a hospital. My leg became deformed and shorter than the other.
I have been struggling for survival since then until I received a call from Chekwube. I met him years back at Maryland, Lagos. He asked me to come to Lagos so that he would introduce a business to me. I came and he opened up to me that we would be snatching cars. He said my role would be to drive our operational vehicle and use it to block any car the gang liked. I agreed to the plan.
I needed only N200, 000 to start my life but the business was not going smoothly. Some of the cars we snatched were tracked and we usually abandoned them those that were engraved.
I was arrested through a phone I got from one of our victims and I used to call my female friend. I was in a guest house at Meiran area on January 26 when I was arrested.

Jacob Ali (28) from Kogi State
I hold a degree in English from the Nasarawa State University, Keffi.  I finished in 2010 and did my youth service in Katsina State. I sold phones and recharge cards. I was also into properties.

When and how did you start robbery?
In 2014, I was depressed because I didn’t have money to pay my house rent. I met my friend, Titus, and explained my predicament to him. He told me he would take me to a place where I could get money to pay my rent. He said we would ‘take’ a car out of a house and sell it.
The pressure from my landlord was too much so I followed Titus. In November 2014, we went to a house. We hit the door of the house with a stone and when it gave way, we harassed the occupants with cutlasses. We collected the key of the Camry found in the compound and handed the car to Nura to sell. I received N30, 000 from the sale.

How were you arrested?
I was sleeping in my room in Keffi when policemen from SARS, Lagos, came to arrest me.
Titus Yohanna (31) from Nasarawa State
 I have BSc degree in Political Science. I finished in 2012.
I started robbery in November 2013. We used to go to Abuja to look for job and would come back in the evening, unsuccessful. I used to know Nura way back while I was in the university. He used to visit the university and would ask me to help him look for girls. He used to play football also.
The idea of stealing cars came to me and I sold it to my friend, Jacob. He accepted. We tried several times but we were not bold enough to carry out the operation. We were able to do it eventually.

After the first operation, Jacob told me that we should stop using a fake gun, saying that he had someone whom he could get a gun from. He spoke to his friend, Augustine and he agreed to give us his gun. Contrary to his claim, he knew what we wanted to use the gun for. He warned us never to fire the gun and we swore to abide by the warning. I collected the gun and kept it with Jacob.
After mounting surveillance on where we were to operate, Jacob fell ill so I asked a young boy, Nicholas, to go with me. We collected a car and after leaving robbery scene, I gave the young boy the gun to keep so that I would not move about with it. I was arrested when I went to give the car to Nura. We went to Nicholas’s house at 3a.m. but immediately the sound of a car, he jumped through the window and escaped with the gun. Though I smoked marijuana while in school, I stopped in Part 2. So, I was not under the influence of any drug.

How do you feel now?
I feel so bad. I have disgraced my people.  When I went to give Nura a car, we were inside the car when SARS rounded us up.
Augustine Richard (30) from Kaduna State
I live in Kafanchan. I am a graduate of the Federal University of Technology, Minna. I studied Animal Science and Fishery. I finished in 2012. I have been practising my profession by rearing fish. I also breed foreign dogs for sale.

I had never been a criminal or indulged in stealing before. Last year, my father was killed alongside two women and children by Fulani herdsmen. After the incident, people came to offer condolences to my family. Someone came and said there was the need to protect ourselves and he offered to help me get a gun for this purpose. Since I got it, I have never used it once.
I was going to Benue State in January to fertilise fish for someone. Jacob happens to be my friend. His parents live in Kafanchan and I have never known him with any crime. He knew I had a gunand he asked me to leave the gun for him when I was going to Benue. I did but I later returned to get some injections for fertilization. I asked him of the gun and he answered that his brother came home from the seminary and he didn’t want him to see it.

 He said that his friend, Titus, took the gun out for a ‘package.’ I asked him what he meant and he said that his friend was using it to snatch cars. I started calling Titus to retrieve the gun from him but we could not find it. It was only the bullet that was found with him. I didn’t know initially that they wanted to use it for crime.
Source: Tribune

There is hope for baby without arms – Surgeon

An orthopaedic surgeon with the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Dr. Babajide Saheed, has said there is hope of artificial arms for the baby boy who was born without them at a private clinic in Ogun State.

PUNCH Metro had reported on Thursday that one Mrs. Taiwo Sheriiffdeen, was delivered of a baby boy who had no arms.

But Saheed said depending on the severity of the condition, the baby might have to undergo surgery in a few months, when the artificial prosthetics would be given to him.

He said, “He may have to undergo a surgery, but it is likely not to be now. If the joint is functional, he would be given prosthetics and if it is not, the joints would be removed surgically and he would also be given prosthetics to assist him.

“The mother should take the baby to a tertiary hospital with orthopaedic specialists and pediatricians, who will evaluate and access the baby and decide the proper treatment.

“They will check his spine and scrotum for any abnormalities. They would also check his heart, abdomen and spine just to rule out any other congenital defects.”

The surgeon said the baby must have suffered some congenital defects which affected his growth either in the first or second trimester of the mother’s pregnancy.

According to him, the mother’s age at the time she got pregnant and her state of health may affect the baby’s growth and development either positively or negatively.

Saheed said, “The mother may have had some infections which were not well treated. It could be the side effect of some drugs she took in the first six months of pregnancy and that is the delicate period because it is at this stage that the major organs are forming. If she took antibiotics then, it could be the cause of the deformity or any congenital defects in the baby.

“Exposure to radiation in the area or while undergoing treatment could also cause the deformity. It is also common for women, who get pregnant after the age of 35 to have babies with congenital defects or mental challenges.”

Source: Punch

Mayhem in Lagos •Four killed, 27 vehicles destroyed in gang war

Pandemonium broke out in the Mosafejo, Oshodi-Isale area of Lagos State, after rival groups said to be members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, clashed on Tuesday evening and early Wednesday.

Four people were reportedly killed, while several others were injured in the fracas which was stopped after the intervention of security agencies.
PUNCH Metro gathered that no fewer than 15 commercial buses were set on fire, while 12 others were vandalised.
Makeshift stalls in the Mosafejo Motor Park were also torched, leaving traders in the park mourning their losses.

When PUNCH Metro visited the scene of the incident on Wednesday, the atmosphere was still tense as men of the Nigeria Police Force and some soldiers were observed patrolling the area.
The motor park, usually filled with vehicles, was deserted as the police armoured tanks and patrol vans took over the space.

Broken bottles, shards of glass from shattered windscreens and pebbles, said to have been deployed by some of the hoodlums during the fight, littered the road.
Bloodstains dotted the Oshodi Roundabout, where a man was said to have been shot dead and his corpse taken away by the police.

A vehicle was still burning as of 1pm when our correspondent passed the area.
Around the same time, a police van manned by police officers was observed by our correspondent taking some teenagers away.
A source told PUNCH Metro that the fight involved three groups ─ Big London boys, Railway boys and Under-bridge boys.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the fight started after the police ordered that there should be a stop in hemp smoking in the motor park.
The move was said to have been supported by the Big London boys, which brought them in conflict with the Railway and Under-bridge gangs who saw them as an ally of the police.

She said, “That was the beginning of the fight. The Railway boys and the Under-bridge boys usually conspire to wage war against the Big London boys which also had Olu Omo as a leading member.
“Yesterday (Tuesday), the allied gangs struck again and killed four people. One particularly was popular here and we call him Afari. A man was shot in the eye, another in the hand and leg. Several others are in critical conditions in hospitals.”
Another witness, who did not identify herself, said one Idris was cut with machete in the buttocks, leg and hand.

“No one knows if he will survive the attack because his condition is critical,” she said.
When PUNCH Metro crossed over to the area where the Under-bridge and Railway groups had their camp, he met some of the men who alleged that the fight was sponsored by the Big London gang.
“It was around 11pm on Tuesday that they came here. They were many in the Big London group. They had the police backing them and they want to drive us away from here. They descended on our vehicles and set many of them ablaze which you can see for yourself.
“They shot and injured three of our people, who have been rushed to hospital. We don’t know why they are after us and this fight could have been bloodier, but we decided to be calm,” a man in the group, who did not identify himself, said.

Another member of the group, who equally declined identification, showed our correspondent an injury he sustained in his hand.
He said, “They shot at so many of us. This was where I was shot. Those guys were many. They shot at about 100 of us and burnt many buses.”
Some of the traders, whose stalls were burnt, appealed for government’s intervention.
Mrs. Taiwo Olajide, a mother of three and dealer in soft drinks, said she lost all her goods to the violence.

She said, “The hoodlums set fire on all the stalls in this park. They have ruined our business. This is where I feed my children and keep body and soul together.”
Another trader, Mrs. Josephine Eze, said all her provisions were burnt.
Our correspondent also observed a cross-section of traders who were seated in front of their shops, which were not affected by the fracas.
They lamented that they had not been able to operate their business since the area was cordoned off by the police.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Kenneth Nwosu, while confirming the incident, said one person was killed, adding that the police recovered some weapons from the hoodlums.
He said, “There was an attempt to breach the peace at Oshodi. The hoodlums, who were rival members of the NURTW, engaged in a fight of supremacy over control of parks.
“In the process, about eight vehicles were burnt and 10 vandalised. One person was killed. Five cutlasses and four expended cartridges were recovered. Normalcy has been restored as adequate security has been made to avert any further breach of the peace.”

Nwosu added that the police arrested nine suspects in connection with the crime.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Lagos State Council of the NURTW, Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede, has said the union will unravel the cause of incessant violent clashes in Oshodi.

He spoke on Wednesday while inaugurating a five-man committee to find out immediate and remote causes of the fracas in the area.
Agbede said the leadership of the union in the state would not fold its arms and watch some persons destroy the peace being enjoyed in the state.
He said, “We have been witnessing peace in Lagos State council of our union since my administration came in.

We have restored peace in all our parks, so we shall find out the cause of the present problems in Oshodi, with a view to finding a lasting solution to them.”
Source: Punch

Scammer issues 400 NPS appointment letters in Abuja

The Nigerian Prisons Service has apprehended a suspected job scammer, James Odey, for allegedly issuing fake letters of appointment to unsuspecting job seekers in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Before his arrest, Odeh was said to have issued about 400 applicants with fake appointment letters into the Nigerian Prisons Service.

The Prisons Service Public Relations Officer, Francis Enobore, said 31 victims had besieged the National Headquarters of the Prisons Service with fake letters of appointment for documentation last Friday.

He said investigation indicated that the victims were duped by the suspect and his gang members, who posed as members of “Replacement Board” of the NPS.

Some of the victims claimed to have parted with between N100,000 and N500,000 before they were issued the fake letters of appointment.

The NPS spokesman said, “The appointment letters prompted an investigation from the Intelligence Unit of the Service which led to the arrest of Odeh at his hideout.”

Enobore said the 31 applicants with fake appointment letters and Odeh had been handed over to the police for further interrogation and prosecution, while the search for other members of the syndicate continued.

“The public is hereby advised to beware of fraudsters on the prowl, who take undue advantage of the congested labour market to inflict further pains on unsuspecting job seekers,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Akwa Ibom State command of the Nigerian Immigration Service has arrested a 40-year old pastor, Victor Udom, for defrauding one of his church members, Mr. Eyo Akpan, of N500,000.

Udom, a prophet of Eternity Mission Church, Udo Uweme, Uyo, was said to have collected N270,000 from Akpan to secure a job with the NIS for his daughter, Miss Magdalene Akpan.

The state Controller, NIS, Abdullahi Garba, said Magdalene brought an appointment letter which Udom had prepared for her to start work in the command.

He stated that Udom stole the appointment letter of a former immigration officer who had died and altered some information to reflect the currency of the situation, including altering the man’s name to that of Magdalene.

He said, “Udom promised to give employment to Magdalene. He gave fake employment letter with a forged signature of one Sylvester Johnson, as an offer of immigration job to Magdalene.

“Our officers were able to track him down and he is with us. We intend to send him to Abuja for further investigation.

“It may also interest you to know that Udom had collected N270,000 from Magdalene’s father for immigration and N230,000 for a job in ExxonMobil from the same man. He is a serial fraudster. He has confessed to us.

He stated that recruitment into NIS had started, adding that the process was through online.

He explained that upon successfully completing the online form, a Personal Identification Number would be issued to each applicant for participation in the online examination.

Udom, however, said somebody collected the money with a promised to get a job for the lady.

“When the family started disturbing me and the person that collected the money refused to pick my calls, I prepared the employment letter for Magdalene.

“One of my church members gave me that letter for me to pray for him; the person is dead, he was working in NIS,” he said.

Source: Punch

Military arrests B’Haram fighters disguised as women

Troops involved in the ongoing counter terrorism operation in the North-East have arrested a number of terrorists who disguised as women in Baga, Borno State.

Baga, the headquarters of the Multi National joint Task Force, was captured by the insurgents in January but was recaptured by the Special Forces on Saturday.
The Director of Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade, who stated this in a statement on Monday, did not give the exact number of the terrorists arrested.

Olukolade had said in an earlier statement on Sunday that troops were screening a group of people mostly women in Baga to ascertain their true identities and to find out whether they were supporters of the deadly sect or not.

The Defence spokesman said that the troops had arrested many terrorists hiding in Baga apart from those captured during the battle to liberate the town.
Olukolade, who also said that several arms and bombs hidden at some locations within Baga had been recovered, stated that those in custody were being interrogated.

He said, “The cordon and search in Baga has revealed some terrorists disguising as women.
“The searches are also yielding more discoveries of arms especially bombs hidden in various locations, especially Baga town.
“Apart from those captured in the course of fighting, many terrorists hiding in the town are being arrested and troops are still busy interrogating the suspects.

“In furtherance of the mission to clear terrorists from all their enclaves by the military, the Nigerian Air Force has stepped up its air bombardments of identified targets in Gwoza, Bama and Sambisa forest, preparatory to other phases of the mission.

“The air strikes have been highly successful as they achieved the aims, hitting vital targets with required precision. Terrorists are now in disarray as they scamper to escape from the impact of air bombardment of their locations in the forest.”

He said that the military was now preoccupied with the consolidation of the liberated areas to pave the way for the return of the residents after flushing out the terrorists from Baga.
Source: Punch

How NDLEA nabbed drug baron with 8.25 tonnes of hemp

As Nigeria intensifies preparations towards the 2015 elections, a man, Ejiro Young, was also busy scheming on how to make money from a banned substance which could induce crime in its users. He had planned the sale of a truck load of marijuana, popularly known as Indian hemp.

But Ejiro ran out of luck as operatives of  National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in  Kaduna, acting on a tip-off  swung into action and arrested him at Kakau village along Kaduna-Abuja road. He is currently in the net of the agency  and will soon to be arraigned in court.

 Speaking on the arrest of the suspect, the State Commander of NDLEA in Kaduna, Samuel Azige, expressed the agency’s optimism and dedication in the  discharge of its duties, promising to put the unacceptable practice of drug trafficking  at the barest minimum.

He said  it was the biggest arrest so far made in the northern part of the country. A total of  8.241 tonnes was  said to  have been seized, against three tonnes previously recorded in the entire region.
At present, according to Ejiro Young, the hemp is worth N19.5 million. It has the tendency of appreciating over time, he said.

The  suspect spoke on why he indulged in the drug trade:
Why did you go into this business knowing that it is  illegitimate?
 l started the business so that l can survive  as l did not have any other means of survival. l finished my secondary school and had no money to further education. l went to the bush to look for a job and l  found some people cultivating hemp.

And you could not do any other job aside this one?
 It was not that there was no other legitimate job, but I had no choice since I became exposed to it after my   secondary school education.

How long have you been in this business?
I started in 2011 when l came down to Kaduna. When l was living in Edo State, l was working in the bush.

How and where do you sell it?
We meet on the way and l give my customers the goods.

Who are your major customers?
I don’t have specific custonnes . We meet at different spots along the road. They buy and go.

Do you know the effect of this on the youths you sell it to?
l don’t know.

Do you take some yourself?
I do.

And you don’t know the effect?
I don’t have any effect from it. Sometimes when l take it, it only makes me happy and I forget about  my worries.

Does  your wife know the type of business you are doing?
We got married before she knew the type of business l was  doing and she always told  me to leave the business.

Now that you have been caught, how do you feel?
Well, l am not happy. I plead that the government  should have  mercy on me.

What message do you have for others who are in this business?
My message to them is that they  should realise that this kind of business is unlawful. Anyone that is into it now should know that one day they would be caught, just as l am here now. l advise that they look for something meaningful and lawful to do.

Source: Tribune