The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a welder who led a gang of robbers that attacked De-Sholly filling station at Morogbo area of the state, shooting the owner and carting away N6.8 million.
The suspect, Wahab Hassan, 31, a welder by profession, has been on the police wanted list for four years.
Hassan told the police that the filling station robbery wouldn’t have been successful if not for the information given to his gang by the manager of the station.
Investigation revealed that the manager told his brother, identified as Lucky Egoaho, to assist him to organize armed robbers to snatch his boss’s money.
Egoaho got in touch with Hassan and his gang.
The police said several suspects arrested for armed robbery and cultism along the Badagry axis had often mentioned Hassan.
He was said to be the leader of different gang and had remained elusive and mysterious until his eventual arrest.
He was however arrested after some of his arrested gang members gave police information about his secret hideout.
A police source said: “Whenever the police had an encounter with his gang along the Badagry axis, his members would be arrested, while he would escape. He was like a spirit or puff of smoke.”
According to the police, Hassan has a penchant for attacking fast food joints and business people heading to Benin Republic.
His gang also enjoys robbing filling stations.
Singing like a bird while in the net of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Ikeja, Lagos State, Hassan said he and his gang had carried attacks along Okokomaiko, Ajamgbadi, Agbara, Morogbo and Badagry axis.
On February 23, 2015, Hassan and gang attacked the De-Sholly filling station manager at Morogbo, where they carted away N6.8 million after shooting the filling station boss.
The suspect was said to have led an eight-man gang for that operation.
Hassan said: “The manager of the filling station gave us information about the large sum of money in the company. He said that his boss was about to take the money to the bank. I swiftly mobilized my members for the robbery attack which was successful. It was
The manager’s brother, Lucky contacted me.”
The gang stormed the filling station with four locally made pistols and four Bajaj motorcycles.
They converged at Agbara Motorcycle Park, posing as if they were passengers.
It was right there in the motor park that Hassan stealthily distributed guns to his members.
He and his gang member went into hiding, while Lucky communicated to them the movement of the filling station manager as he headed to the bank. They cornered and shot him, seizing the money he was taking to the bank.
Hassan said: “I’m the third born of seven children. We robbed De-Sholly filling station. I got N800,000 as my share. In fact, I was the one that shared the money. I used part of my share to rent a house at Ifo Road, along Cele Bus Stop in Ogun State. The house was a room and parlour. I bought a motorcycle also. We have carried out robbery six robbery operations.
“We also operated after attending a function at Gateway Polytechnic in Ogun State. Some of our friends invited us for the school matriculation. Our friends are cult boys. I’m even a member of Eiye confraternity. I’m the fourth man in that cult. When we were coming back, we entered a car wash at Ogun State and robbed them of N6, 000 and one phone. I feel bad for taking part and leading a robbery gang. The cult I belonged to led me into all these mess.”