An ex-footballer with the defunct Niger Tornados
football club of Niger State, Nura Mohammed, was on
Wednesday paraded at the Lagos State Police
Command Headquarters, Ikeja, alongside seven others
for armed robbery.
The other gang members were identified as Manven
Bali, Chekwube Emeka, Ejike Chukwuemeka, Jacob Ali,
Titus Johana and Richard Augustin.
The suspects who were paraded by the state
Commissioner of Police, Kayode Aderanti, had
confessed on how they carried out different armed
robbery operations within the state.
The receiver of the stolen vehicles, Mohammed, also
confessed on how they snatched a Honda CRV Jeep,
2013 model, belonging to a Channels Television staff
at gunpoint.
The ex-footballer who said his group had been in the
business of snatching cars for over five years, said his
role was usually to receive and dispose the stolen
vehicles in Niger Republic whenever they succeed in
snatching such cars from their victims.
He said, “I was formerly a cow dealer in Lagos. I sell
cows at Agege abattoir, but some time in 2005, I
incurred a debt of about N2.6 million. I ran away from
Lagos when I could not pay up my debt and the owner
of the money was breathing down on me.
“When I left Lagos, I went to Abuja, where I stayed
briefly. I later left Abuja for Minna, Niger State and in
2011, I joined the defunct Niger Tornados football club.
“I was signed with the sum of N150,000. Our coach
then was Landa Bosu. A year later, I quit football when
I sustained injury on my leg and I went back to Abuja
where I started a viewing centre business.
“ It was a young man who sells mineral (soft drinks)
by the side of my viewing centre that first introduced
me into the business of receiving stolen vehicles.”
Apparently, this was not the first time he would be
arrested as he was caught by the police sometime in
2012 after he bought a stolen Peugeot car from his
neighbour.
After his release, he continued in his life of crime
especially after he was introduced to Ejike, the leader
of a car snatching syndicate.
He said, “I bought a total of about seven cars from
Ejike. The police arrested one of my boys when he
came to collect the Honda CRV car. I didn’t know that
the car belonged to Channels Television.
“It was my boy that was arrested that brought the
police to my place in Kano. After my arrest, I was
brought to Lagos where I assisted the police to arrest
other members of the gang.”
Aderanti, while addressing journalists said the other
members of the gang were arrested at their hide out
at Ikorodu.
He said the police retrieved two locally made double
barrel guns, four live cartridges, one CRV Jeep with
registration No. LSD 322 CK, one Peugeot car with
registration No. AU 380 KWL, one Toyota Camry with
registration No. GRZ 42 AA and a Honda Accord
Saloon car with registration No. KSF 95 DB.
He said the arrest of the gang was sequel to a case of
conspiracy and armed robbery which was reported by
a staff of Channels Television.
Upon receipt of the information, the officer-in-charge
of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS), Abba Kyari,
was directed to carry out an in-depth investigation into
the matter.
He said, “Kyari staged a massive manhunt for the
criminals. Eventually three members of the gang- Bali,
Emeka and Ejike were arrested by two SARS decoy
teams led by Kyari at Ojodu and Ikorodu areas of
Lagos.”
He said the suspects would soon be charged to court.
football club of Niger State, Nura Mohammed, was on
Wednesday paraded at the Lagos State Police
Command Headquarters, Ikeja, alongside seven others
for armed robbery.
The other gang members were identified as Manven
Bali, Chekwube Emeka, Ejike Chukwuemeka, Jacob Ali,
Titus Johana and Richard Augustin.
The suspects who were paraded by the state
Commissioner of Police, Kayode Aderanti, had
confessed on how they carried out different armed
robbery operations within the state.
The receiver of the stolen vehicles, Mohammed, also
confessed on how they snatched a Honda CRV Jeep,
2013 model, belonging to a Channels Television staff
at gunpoint.
The ex-footballer who said his group had been in the
business of snatching cars for over five years, said his
role was usually to receive and dispose the stolen
vehicles in Niger Republic whenever they succeed in
snatching such cars from their victims.
He said, “I was formerly a cow dealer in Lagos. I sell
cows at Agege abattoir, but some time in 2005, I
incurred a debt of about N2.6 million. I ran away from
Lagos when I could not pay up my debt and the owner
of the money was breathing down on me.
“When I left Lagos, I went to Abuja, where I stayed
briefly. I later left Abuja for Minna, Niger State and in
2011, I joined the defunct Niger Tornados football club.
“I was signed with the sum of N150,000. Our coach
then was Landa Bosu. A year later, I quit football when
I sustained injury on my leg and I went back to Abuja
where I started a viewing centre business.
“ It was a young man who sells mineral (soft drinks)
by the side of my viewing centre that first introduced
me into the business of receiving stolen vehicles.”
Apparently, this was not the first time he would be
arrested as he was caught by the police sometime in
2012 after he bought a stolen Peugeot car from his
neighbour.
After his release, he continued in his life of crime
especially after he was introduced to Ejike, the leader
of a car snatching syndicate.
He said, “I bought a total of about seven cars from
Ejike. The police arrested one of my boys when he
came to collect the Honda CRV car. I didn’t know that
the car belonged to Channels Television.
“It was my boy that was arrested that brought the
police to my place in Kano. After my arrest, I was
brought to Lagos where I assisted the police to arrest
other members of the gang.”
Aderanti, while addressing journalists said the other
members of the gang were arrested at their hide out
at Ikorodu.
He said the police retrieved two locally made double
barrel guns, four live cartridges, one CRV Jeep with
registration No. LSD 322 CK, one Peugeot car with
registration No. AU 380 KWL, one Toyota Camry with
registration No. GRZ 42 AA and a Honda Accord
Saloon car with registration No. KSF 95 DB.
He said the arrest of the gang was sequel to a case of
conspiracy and armed robbery which was reported by
a staff of Channels Television.
Upon receipt of the information, the officer-in-charge
of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS), Abba Kyari,
was directed to carry out an in-depth investigation into
the matter.
He said, “Kyari staged a massive manhunt for the
criminals. Eventually three members of the gang- Bali,
Emeka and Ejike were arrested by two SARS decoy
teams led by Kyari at Ojodu and Ikorodu areas of
Lagos.”
He said the suspects would soon be charged to court.
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