Monday 3 June 2013

Killers of award winning police officer nabbed in Lagos



By FOLAKE SOKOYA
…Police recover arms, ammunition
The Police in Lagos State have arrested a gang of notorious armed robbers who has been terrorizing the state and also killed a policeman.
The suspected robbers have been identified as Mustapha Owolabi, Noah Oshodi and Morufu Aleba..
The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), who arrested the suspects, explained that one of the robbers, Aleba, died during exchange of gunfire with police.
Two AK47 rifles, seven AK47 fully loaded magazines, 118 rounds of live AK 47 rifles ammunitions, three single barrel pistols, one triple barrel pistol, one double barrel pistol and 60 live cartridges were recovered from the house of the late Aleba.
The gang met its waterloo after a team of SARS men, on information, swung into action and arrested Mustapha Owolabi a.k.a Gbebo, who on interrogation, confessed to series of armed robbery operations within and outside Lagos.
Mustapha also confessed that Aleba, the gang leader was in charge of taking care of their operational arms. After Mustapha’s confession, a team of policemen went in search of Aleba at Ifo area of Ogun State.
Working on detailed description given to them by Mustapha, the policemen arrived at Aleba’s house and immediately condoned off the area.
Daily Newswatch gathered that when Aleba and two of his other gang members, who were with him in the house noticed the presence of the policemen, they opened fire.
The police immediately retaliated. When the smoke from both parties cleared, one of the policemen, Corporal Sunday Fafoluyi, with force number 387951 and the leader of the gang, Aleba were rolling on the ground and groaning in pains. They had both been seriously wounded. It was also discovered that the two armed robbers who were in the house with Aleba, bolted in the heat of the gun battle. They were said to have escaped by scaling the fence of the building.
Fafoluyi and the gang leader were rushed to the General Hospital, Sango Otta, but both were confirmed dead by the doctor on duty. The corpse of the late SARS personnel was later deposited at the morgue of the Lagos State Teaching Hospital, (LASUTH).
Noah Oshodi was said to have been arrested while trying to take the gangs operational arms from the late leader’s house to another of the robbers’ hideout.
But Noah vehemently denied the allegation. He also denied being a robber. According to him, police were trying to pin a crime he did not commit on him.
According to Noah, a woman accosted him where he was parked at the commercial bike riders’ garage in Ifo. The woman begged him to go to her house and assist her to pick somebody who was with her baby.
He stated further that he initially did not want to go but changed his mind after the woman promised to pay him more. Noah explained that the woman described her house to him and that he was arrested after he had picked the man who was actually carrying a baby and a travel bag.
He explained further that he was about taking off after he had picked the man with the baby, when the police double crossed him in their unmarked vehicle.
Immediately he realised that the men were policemen, he had attempted to run.
Noah said that he only tried to escape because he did not want his motorbike to be seized by policemen and not because he was in possession of any ammunition as alleged by the police.
Police spokesperson, Ngozi Braide, who confirmed the death of the police officer, explained that Fafoluyi was killed while trying to arrest the suspected robbers.
She described the late policeman as a gallant officer who had served in various divisions within Lagos and would be greatly missed.
She added: “Fafoluyi was born in 1975 and enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force in December 2002. He was promoted Corporal in 2010. He was awarded with the award of Gallantry and Service Excellence in 2011 by Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola. He had since been buried in his home town. He was survived by his wife and two children. Fafoluyi a.k.a OPC would be greatly missed by the Lagos State Police Command and SARS in particular.
“Citizens should endeavour to take note of activities around them and their environments and should please not hesitate to report to the police if they suspected any crime or criminal activity. This will go a long way in assisting the police in curbing crime in the state.
Culled from www.mydailynewswatchng.com

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