I went into ‘one chance’ operation after my clothing business collapsed — 50-year-old

A  50-year-old father of four, Matthew Tokeme, has told operatives of the Lagos State Police Command that he went into “one chance” robbery when his clothing business collapsed at Katanguwa Market in Abule Egba area of the State.
The suspect was arrested following a social media outcry over the criminal activities he was perpetrating with three of his gang members, now at large, in major areas of the State.
The suspects usually stationed their bus at different bus stops around Abule-Egba, Ijaiye, Agege and Ikeja, where they pick unsuspecting commuters between 5am and 6am and rob them after taking them to a lonely path.
Tokeme, who was paraded by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, at the Command Headquarters Ikeja, has confessed to the crime.
Odumosu said : “On February 3, 2020 at about 5am, information received from members of the public revealed that some armed robbers were sighted along Agidingbi Road, Ikeja, operating in a Toyota Sienna bus with Registration Number APP 488 FH, attacking and robbing unsuspecting victims of their valuables.
“This is a Toyota Sienna described by quite a number of victims on several occasions, especially on the social media. On the receipt of the information, operatives from the Rapid Response Squad, who have been on the lookout for the said vehicle and gang, swung into action.
“The vehicle was intercepted and one Matthew Tokeme, who is the leader of the robbery gang and the owner of the vehicle, was arrested.
“He confessed to being the leader of the one chance robbery gang.
“Investigation is ongoing to apprehend other gang members at large.”
Tokeme claimed his childhood friend based in Germany had bought him the bus to use for transportation business after his clothing business collapsed.
He said: “I used to sell cloths at Super at Abule-Egba.
“Business got bad and I had to seek for help from my friend based in Germany.
“Last year, my friend bought me the bus to use for transport business.
“It was my friends, Brown Onyewe and Rashidi, that introduced me to ‘one chance’ business.
“They said I would make more money from the business.
“We often carried passengers going to Victoria Island from Ijaiye.
“We would snatch their mobile phones and other valuables when we get to lonely paths.
“We sold the phones for N5,000 each, and a laptop we had snatched at one of our operations was sold for N20,000.
“I was however arrested while I was at home.”
On the whereabout of his other gang members, Tokeme said: “I don’t know where they live.
“I have never been to their house as we only spoke on phone and met at specific bus stops for operation.”
The CP said the suspect would be charged to court after completion of investigation into the matter.