I never miss church service-Robbery Suspect

A suspected armed robber arrested by the Lagos State Police

Command, Felix Odion, has said he never missed a church

service despite the fact that he robbed for a living.

Odion, was arrested for snatching cars along with his partner,

Titus Anthony, on November 22 from a hideout in Ifo, Ogun

State, told our correspondent that he was lured into joining a

robbery gang and insisted that he was a committed church

member.

Speaking with Punch Metro, 23-year-old Odion, said he was

given N70,000 from the first robbery operation, adding that he

had gone out with the gang only on two occasions.

He said, “I live at Arowojobe Street, Mafoluku, Oshodi

with my family. I am also married with two children. I

was working as a driver with a plastic company before I

was sacked.

“When I was laid off two months ago, I became penniless

and I needed to make ends meet. But I did not think of

robbery because I am a Christian. I hardly miss any

church service. I attend a church in Oshodi.

“I met the gang at a beer joint in Oshodi and one of them

told me that we could do some work together. I didn’t

know it was robbery. When they snatched the first

vehicle, I was given N70,000. It was after my second

participation that I was arrested.”

Odion, who hails from Ugbowo, Edo State, added that he was

arrested last Saturday in his house while his family was

preparing to go to church.

Meanwhile, 28-year-old Anthony from Oredo, Edo State, said

they snatched the recovered Toyota Camry on a bank premises

in Oshodi, after the owner withdrew money from the

Automated Teller Machine.He said,

“That Toyota Camry was our third operation. It was

snatched on the evening of the Tuesday before

November 22. We monitored a man into the banking

area. We watched as he withdrew from the ATM. When

he was returning, we attacked and snatched the car keys

from him.

“He cooperated because he was shocked. We drove the

vehicle to Ifo where we planned to sell it. One alhaji was

waiting to buy the vehicle from us. He stays in Sango

Ota, Ogun State. But he is a car dealer in the Seme,

Badagry area of Lagos.”

Anthony, who said he used to work as a bricklayer, added that

the gang had successfully snatched and resold three vehicles

since he joined them.He said,

“I dropped out of school in Junior Secondary School 3.

It was one Uche who introduced me to the gang early

this year. He has also been arrested by the police. The

first vehicle we snatched was a Toyota Camry. We sold it

for N180,000.The second and third operations were also

Toyota vehicles snatched around the Maryland area. I

went into this because of frustration. I always feel sorry

for my victims. That’s why I don’t hurt anyone during

any operation.”

When asked why they preferred to snatch Toyota products, the

suspects said Toyota vehicles sold faster than other brands.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Kenneth

Nwosu, confirmed the arrest, adding that investigations were

ongoing.

, “They are in SARS custody as investigaions are

ongoing.”