I Do Not Want To Go To Prison Again, Says The Ex–convict

An ex-convict, one of the robbery suspects arrested by operatives of Rapid Response Squad, RRS, Lagos State Police Command, early yesterday for robbery at Oshodi, Lagos, has said he acted out of frustration.

The robbery suspect, identified as Mustapha, 21, and his accomplices, Olumide, 20, and Amusa, 20, were arrested following a tip-off from their victim, who alerted the Police that his blackberry phone was stolen by the suspects during early morning traffic around Bolade, Oshodi.

The suspect, Mustapha, said he was driven by frustration to steal the handset from his victim. He said: “I am a bus conductor at Oshodi. I am from Ibadan and a secondary school dropout. I sleep in Ojuwoye, Mushin. I am an ex-convict and do not want to go to prison again.

“Government should please have mercy on me. I was frustrated into traffic robbery; I won’t do it again.”

Mustapha’s accomplices, Olumide and Amusa, said although they saw Mustapha at Oshodi regularly, they were also bus conductors and not traffic robbers, adding that they were in Lagos to make money to buy their working tools, having completed their apprenticeship.

In another development, RRS has recovered a locally-made gun with a cartridge in Surulere, Lagos.

The gun was recovered at about 2a.m. by the operatives while on a regular patrol of Iganmu Bridge by Brewery, Surulere.

It was learned that the policemen had spotted three men standing in a suspicious manner and took to their heels on sighting the security men, but were later caught.

However, when a search was conducted on where the men were standing, a locally-made gun was found with an unspent cartridge.