New Telegraph

Widow, two others arrested for ‘one chance

…attempt to rob victim second time lands suspects in police net

 

Police have arrested a 63-year-old man, Anuche Uko, and two others suspects, for allegedly using the former’s private car for ‘one chance’ operations in parts of Lagos State. The two other suspects are Kingsley Ojukwu (49) and Chinyere Ogueri (39). Ogueri is a widow. The police also recovered from the suspects their operational Toyota Camry car. It was learnt that one of the victims, who the suspects had robbed before, boarded the suspects’ car again and recognised one of them. The woman raised the alarm which attracted the attention of policemen in the area, who arrested the suspects. The state Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, who paraded the suspects yesterday at state Police Command Headquarters, Ikeja, said they had been in the business for a long time before they were arrested. Odumosu said a lady boarded the car on the Airport Road and met four other passengers in the car. According to him, the lady did not know they were fraudsters. The commissioner said midway into the journey, they ordered her to surrender all her valuables. They collected 70,000 from her and then pushed her out of the moving vehicle. He said: “Upon receipt of the information, I detailed my men to be on the lockout for them. Surprisingly, on December 14, about 7pm at Ogba area of the state, the suspects were arrested after the victim, who they had robbed before, identified them. Three of them were arrested and their operational vehicle was recovered from them.” During interrogation, the suspects confessed to the crime and promised to work with the police to arrest their other gang members, who are at large. Uko said he was frustrated after he was sacked from his previous work, which led him to embrace ‘one chance’ operation.

 

He said: “I am from Imo State. What we do is local fraud. I usually lie to any passengers who board my car that I have dollars in my car and I need chemical to wash it. In the process of doing that, my partners, who pose as passengers, will then intervene and persuade the person to bring money because they have done it and made money.

 

“Unfortunately, I didn’t know that the person who we duped in the past would still recognise me. That was how I and other suspects were arrested.

 

We were brought to the command and detained. I regret my actions.” A widow, Ogueri, who is the only lady among them, said after her husband died she had no money to take care of her children. This, Ogueri, added, made her to join the gang.

 

She said: “I came to Lagos when things were hard for me in Imo State. It was in the process of searching for job that a friend linked me with Anuche, who is the leader of the gang. I went out with them just once before we were arrested by the police. I regret my action

. I don’t know how my children and husband’s family would feel seeing me on television.” Odumosu, however, said the suspects would soon be charged to court

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