Robbery Gang Confess:How We Kidnapped Former Bishop Of Anglican Church

The men also confessed that apart from the popular cleric, they were responsible for dispossessing dispossessed the notable football mathematician, Segun Odegbami of his Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) sometime ago

Maybe they are yet to come across a part in the holy book which said “Touch not my anointed and do my prophet no harm’.

Three men in a 5-man robbery gang have been caught by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad unit of the Ogun state Police Command, months after they allegedly attacked and robbed the former Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Peter Akinola.

The members of the robbery gang were identified as 28-year-old Akinde Olawale known as Oloye who is the gang leader, 27-year-old  Akingbade Kaleyemi and 26-year-old Azeez Ogunsola.

According to reports, the men also confessed that apart from the popular cleric, they were responsible for dispossessing dispossessed the notable football mathematician, Segun Odegbami of his Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) sometime ago between Aro and Wasinmi along Lagos-Abeokuta expressway.

The suspects were caught at different times during different times, after their latest robbery operation on July 27, 2014, during which they snatched a 2013 model of Toyota Prado SUV from another victim.

It was gathered that the men were almost apprehended by SARS operatives while they were robbing Most Rev. Akinola but could not shoot because the armed men had taken the cleric and his driver hostage.

Recovered from them were two AK 47 rifles, two Barreta military pistols, four AK 47 magazines each loaded with 30 rounds of live ammunition and two Barreta pistol magazines each loaded with 15 rounds of live ammunition.

According to Nigerian Tribune, the men were interviewed on their activities before they were apprehended.

Akinde Olawale confessed saying:

"I was known as Wewe but now called Oloye.  I am from Alapoti in Ado-Odo-Ota Local Government area of Ogun state. I am married to two wives and have three children. I was a private car driver but my boss died in a car crash. I got into robbery almost six years ago through one Segun who came to live with me. He was keeping guns with me then, but he died while I was in prison for two years over a robbery case.

Segun used to give me money whenever he came back from robbery operation, but he would tell me that he went to school. After one year of staying together, I agreed to join him and we went for robbery operations together. We used to snatch recharge cards from business centres. We also attacked petrol stations, snatched cars, and robbed houses.

When I returned from prison, I bought two AK 47 rifles and two imported pistols from a woman popularly known as Iya Sola in Sagamu, Ogun state.  It was someone who gave me her number and she brought them to Sango for me. She sold each of the AK 47 rifles to me for N200, 000 and the pistols for N120,000 each. I also worked with the renowned armed robber, Abiodun Ogunjobi a.k.a. Godogodo, but only twice.

We collected the sum of N10 million when we robbed a family at Ayobo area of Lagos state. My share was N1 million.

When I was arrested the first time, Federal SARS claimed I knew about a robbery operation, but I didn’t. I was charged to court but was later granted a motion bail after 19 months.

We didn’t kidnap Primate Jasper Akinola. We just snatched his vehicle at Aro via Abeokuta. I drove it and Azeez fired shots into the air. Where the policemen rescued him was the place we dropped him to find his way back. We sold the car to one Alhaji in Cotonou, Republic of Benin, for N600,000.

We collected another Toyota Sienna from a woman whom we attacked one afternoon, wielding AK 47 guns. After successfully hijacking the car, we were pursued by the police, so we ran into the bush and abandoned the vehicle.

The latest one we executed was on July 27, 2014. We attacked a man driving Toyota Prado jeep. We abandoned the car at Ijoun community because it was tracked.

I have built four houses, from which I sold one. I also have two cars: a Nissan Sunny and a Mazda. It’s Azeez that owns the taxi we use for operation."

Akingbade Kaleyemi :

"From my job as a painter, I gathered some money and I bought a motorcycle. Unknowingly, it was a stolen one. I bought the motorcycle for N35,000. The person I gave the bike was apprehended by the real owner of the bike and I was arrested and charged to court. I was in prison for four years and came out of prison in July, 2013. While in prison, I met a guy called Rasheed, a.k.a. 2pac. We exchanged phone numbers and he promised to introduce me to someone who would assist me.

2pac gave me Oloye’s number in January 2014 and my first operation with him was when we snatched a Toyota Sienna. Azeez drove the vehicle but we were pursued by the police. When I saw that I could no longer withstand the pursuit, I jumped out of the car at Ifo and ran into the market, abandoning both the car and the weapons in it. I did not follow the gang to rob Primate Akinola but I was given N50,000 when they returned.

Regarding the latest operation, I was the one who went back with our operational vehicle after the Toyota Prado was collected but was later told that the job was unsuccessful as it was tracked.

It seems I am under a spell. If not, it is unthinkable that I will choose robbery when I have a profession. If I am given a second chance, I will never engage in crime again."

Azeez Ogunsola:

"I am a trained auto technician. I am also an okada rider. I used to pick a group of people at Sapon, among whom was Segun a.k.a. Simple. He would give me between N1500 and N2000 for places not worth up to N100. That was almost 12 years ago.

After a while, I noticed that I could not reach Segun and later learnt that he was an armed robber. I got in contact with Oloye in 2013 when he came to repair cars at my boss’ shop. It was Segun who sent his number to me while he was in prison.

One day Oloye just called me and told me to meet him at Abeokuta expressway. When I got to him, he told me that he had got another set of weapons and asked me to join him in snatching cars. He said since I was a trained mechanic, I would be playing important role in the gang.

Regarding the allegation that I hit the Most Reverend Akinola on the head with a gun, it was not a deliberate act. I asked him to walk fast when we wanted to drop him in the bush but his pace was too slow. I had to hit him on the head with my pistol for him to hasten his movement.

Since I started this job, I have acquired one car that I am using as a taxi. I have N200,000 in my bank account, and also bought a parcel of land."