LAGOS—Leader
of the dreaded gang of bank robbers which had been terrorising commercial banks
in Lagos and Ogun states in military uniforms has disclosed that his gang never
intended to kill nine officials of the Department of State Service, DSS, who
went missing last September.
The
suspect, identified as Kelly Fotor, an Ijaw native of Arugbo, Ondo State, was
arrested last Saturday by operatives of the Inspector General of Police Special
Intelligence Response Team, SIRT, at a wedding ceremony in Sapele, Delta State.
Gun
battle with Police and arrest
Vanguard
gathered that the suspect, who was at the ceremony with some armed men, had a
gun duel with the operatives which led to the killing of one of the policemen,
while Fotor and three of his colleagues, were arrested with bullet
wounds.
It
was gathered that the SIRT operatives, led by CSP, Abba Kyari, who had been on
the trail of the gang, trailed Fotor to the wedding ceremony after their last
operation at Agbara area of Ogun State where they robbed a bank and left three
persons, including a pregnant woman, dead.
Fotor,
who sustained a bullet wound during the shootout, told Vanguard
while he was being transported for treatment that he was the leader of the
South South group of the gang.
He
explained that the gang also had a Lagos leader who he identified as Ossy,
adding that his gang was made up of 12 men, including himself, with bases in
Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa and Ondo states.
Fotor
also said his gang normally teamed up with their Lagos group for operations,
disclosing to Vanguard that he and his gang were formerly
into sea piracy before teaming up with Ossy.
According
to him, Ossy is the leader of the pipeline vandals at Arepo and Ikorodu areas.
Lekki,
Ikorodu, Festac and Agbara robbery operations
Fotor
also said he and his men took part in the Lekki, Ikorodu, Festac and Agbra bank
robberies, adding that they made N28 million from Agbara bank robbery.
“I
and my group got N14 million share from the Agbara operation, while, Ossy and
his group got N14 million. I left Lagos by waters that day after that operation
with my men back to Igbokoda, Ondo State, where we shared the money and
everyone got his share of the loot.
‘’It
was Ossy’s men who usually pick out our targets. They were the ones who picked
out all the targets, my job was to give support and my boat is very big and my
boat boy is a professional and knows his way around the water very well,” he
stated
When
Vanguard inquired who was the woman in the group, he explained that
there was no woman in the gang.
He,
however, said it was one of Ossy’s boys who normally dressed like a woman
during operations.
How
the DSS operatives were killed
On
how they killed the nine DSS officials, Fotor told Vanguard that as
commanders of the groups, he and Ossy never intended to kill the operatives
when they were captured.
He
explained that the operatives stormed their hideout wanting to rescue a woman
who they abducted from Festac.
He
explained further: “ One of our boys who was heavily drunk met us while
we were interrogating the suspects after we captured them and he opened fire on
them.
‘’I
was at their camp at Ikorodu when the DSS operatives were captured and they
brought them before me and Ossy and they knelt down and we interrogated them,
but that guy, he was Ossy’s man. He was very drunk, walked in and without
asking questions opened fire on all of them and killed them. Neither
myself nor Ossy ordered their killing, we never wanted to kill them,” he
explained.
Meanwhile,
Vanguard gathered that Fotor and three other suspects arrested along
with him have been transferred to Abuja, while SIRT operatives are still combing
the area for other members of the gang.
Source:Vanguard
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