Two suspects, who were arrested for interstate armed robbery, have revealed how they gang raped a kidnapped NTA journalist after collecting N1 million ransom from her family.
The suspects, Bashiru Raji, 36, and Christian Jacob, 35, were arrested by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Ikeja, Lagos State Police Command.
The police said the suspects used to rob in Delta, Ondo and Lagos States. They were arrested on August, 16, 2014, around 10am.
According to the police, the suspects kidnapped an NTA journalist in 2012, raped her severally and still collected N1 million ransom from her family.
The police explained that the two suspects were arrested at the Egbeda Roundabout, Lagos. The police believed to have run down to Lagos, from Delta after committing a crime. A police source added: “They came to Lagos, with the intention to rob a bank and hotel. But they met their waterloo in Lagos.”
They were arrested after the officer in charge of SARS, Mr. Abba Kyarri, a Superintendent of Police (SP), received a tip-off about their presence and plans to attack the bank and hotel.
Another police source said: “The Ondo State SARS has been on their trails for long. But they were arrested by the Lagos SARS. They have other members who are still at large. We’re hunting them.”
Raji, father of seven and two wives said he was initiated into robbery by a young man in the compound he used to live. He further said that during robbery operations, he used to be the person who drives. The gang, he said, was a five-man-gang.
His words: “It happened after my wife died. There was a young man who used to smoke Indian hemp in our compound. He introduced me to the gang. We picked the journalist along the Ibadan Expressway, Akure. We took her to our hideout in Odigbo. Some other gang members of ours also raped her.
“We later released her after we collected N1m ransom. My share of the money was N200, 000. We’ve kidnapped on two other occasions. On the kidnapping issue, we are wanted by the Ondo State SARS. So we fled to Delta State.”
Raji said that a man, who was an informant to the police in Lagos, called them, hinting there was an operation that would make every member laugh all the way to the bank. At that point, they did not know they were dealing with a police informant.
“We thought he was also a robber,” said Raji. “We came and were arrested. He told us on phone that he had a Hausa neighbour who had dollars and also a bank we could rob. We did not know he was an informant.”
Jacob, a trader who sells foodstuff, also married, said that his friends called him to participate in the robbery of the woman. He was given N10,000 for that operation.
Aside from selling foodstuff at Oja Oshodi in Ondo State, he was also selling Indian hemp. He revealed that he has an Indian hemp farm.
“My farm is at Odogbolu. I sell the weeds to buyers from the north. I’ve been into Indian hemp farming since three years. Most times I get N150,000 from the northern buyers. The harvest of weeds is after seven months,” said Jacob.
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