17th July, 2019
By Paul Iyoghojie
Two robbery suspects who allegedly attacked a driver, Afred Moses, with Taxify car hiring services along the Lekki-Epe Express way, Lekki, Lagos and robbed him of his Toyota Corrola have been arrested by the police at the Maroko Division, Lekki.
According to the police, trouble started for the suspects, Daniel Abah, 27 and Edwin Edache, 31 both from Otukpo Benue State in June, 2019 when they boarded the complainant’s car as passengers along the Lekki Epe Expressway and told him to take them to Ibeju Lekki area of Lagos.
On their way, the suspects allegedly told the driver that they were robbers and that he should park his car and hand over the key to them or else they would kill him.
The police further alleged that when the driver refused to stop his car, one of the suspects, Abah allegedly held the driver by the neck while his accomplice, Edache poured petrol on his face which forced the driver to suddenly stop his car.
The suspects dragged him out of the car and drove it away.
Following the incident, the driver after regaining consciousness reported the matter to the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Maroko Division, Lekki, who led his men to track the car and the suspects to their hideout in Lekki.
He arrested the suspects and recovered the car.
During investigation, according to the police, the suspects allegedly confess to the crime that they stole the car to sell it to enable them raise money to start a business.
The suspects allegedly stated: “if the driver had listen to our order, we would not have held him by the neck and pour petrol on his face, but his stubbornness led us to pour petrol on his face to destabilised him and rob him of his car.”
The suspects were charged before the Igbosere Magistrate Court on a three-count charge of robbery.
Police counsel, Reuben Solomon told the court that the accused posed as passengers and entered the complainant`s car and later rob him of his car and phones and escaped before they were arrested.
Solomon said the offences committed were punishable under sections 411, 287 (10) and 329 of the criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the alleged crime in the court and Magistrate S. Sasanya granted them bail in the sum of N200, 000 each with two sureties each in like sum.
Sasanya adjourned the case till 19 July, 2019 for mention and ordered that the defendants be remanded at the Ikoyi Prison, Lagos till they perfected their bail conditions