Why we raped victims, by robbery suspects

Everyone around was startled when they recounted their escapades before their reign in the underworld was forced to a halt by the police.

Twenty-four-year-old Moses Adelawo, son of a landlord in Ajao Estate, Lagos; Felix Sunday, alias K-Money, and Abbey Yinusa, who claimed that the former lured him into raping girls, are members of a dreaded gang. So is Ike Leke, 26, aka Bombom. They were arrested on Wednesday.

Their gang, led by Abiodun Ogunjobi, aka Godogodo, terrorised the Southwest before it was smashed last Sunday by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Lagos State Police Command.

Leke, 26, told The Nation on Wednesday that he enjoyed raping daughters of their victims. His reason: Some ladies who advised him to take to armed robbery abandoned him when police declared him wanted after an operation in Lagos.

“Women who lured me into crime abandoned me when I most needed them. They even ran away with my money, thinking that I would die. For that, I developed deep hatred for them,” he said, adding: “I smoke Indian hemp and this also contributed to my misbehaviour. I did not use condom because I was not afraid of HIV/AIDS.”

Explaining how they recently operated at the Ajao Estate before their arrest, Moses said: “I was the one who supplied the information about the warehouse we robbed. I once worked in the warehouse. I used to join my gang members in house-to-house operations. I was outside the warehouse one day when I was called inside to join others in off-loading cartons of assorted handsets. When I entered, I saw my colleagues counting money in millions. I alerted members of my gang who invited Godogodo to join us. They came in two Range Rover jeeps (Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs).”

Recalling his arrest, Moses said: “My wife gave birth to a baby girl and I slaughtered a cow to celebrate her naming, but unknown to me, the scorpions (SARS operatives) were after me over the warehouse robbery.”

Describing Godogodo, he said: “None of us had the courage to look him in the face. Everybody feared him. He is so deadly to the extent that he would fire a human being with AK47 rifle as if he was killing a fowl. He killed policemen mercilessly.”

A soldier, identified as Awa, denied the claim by Uche, another suspect, that he had been supplying the gang with uniforms, saying that it was Obasi, also a soldier, that supplied the uniforms to a late member of the gang, whose name he gave as Joseph.

Yinusa said he was forced to participate in raping victims’ daughters, adding: “If you didn’t join them in that act, they might suspect you and even kill you. So, I did what they did to avoid such a suspicion. At times, I would pretend to do it, tuck back my organ into my pant and dress up.”

Urogbo, Delta State-born Sunday said Godogodo led the Oro, Kwara State operation that rocked the whole state recently. He said two gangs carried out the robbery.

He said: “I am a commercial bus driver. I used to ply Okokomaiko to Oyingbo. We were more than 12 boys who participated in Oro bank robbery in January this year. We operated at Union Bank and First Bank because both are opposite each other. Paul, one of us invited Godogodo because he was feared by people and policemen. That fateful day at about 5pm when the banks had closed doors, Paul called and when we got there, we started shooting. About eight of us carried AK47 rifles with loaded magazines.

“The shooting made people to run for dear lives. When we reached the bank, we used dynamite to blow open its door and carted away money, both in naira and dollars. We got over N10 million. The operation lasted only five minutes. Besides the Oro robbery, I participated in the operation along Ijebu-Ode-Shagamu Road. I drove the first motor while Godogodo drove the second.

“It was Godogodo who opened fire on the bullion van and forced its escorts to run away. He later blocked the bullion van. I don’t know how many millions of naira we got there, but I was given N120,000.”

Corroborating Sunday, Godogodo said: “Yes, I participated in the Oro robbery, but some of my people are worse than me. I prefer house-to-house robbery to bank operations. I robbed where I had correct information that there was big money. I could clear anybody off my way to get the money. But my members also killed policemen.”

Godogodo, who said he did not take delight in robbing the poor, said: “Big men are selfish. When Paul and others approached me, I did not hesitate because I wanted to teach rich people some lessons. I don’t rob poor people; rather, I help them. I have a fish pond in Ikorodu where I employ people and my tenants live free of charge.”