Two suspects – Semiu Obanla, 35, and David Edet, 32, have been arrested in regards to a spate of robberies in which phones and other valuables were stolen from prostitutes in Ogun state and then sold to their counterparts in Lagos state.
The two robbers were captured in a hotel at Abule Egba, Lagos.
The two suspects confessed to their crimes and Obanla stated how they began their operations;
“David and I met at a site in Ikorodu where we worked as casual workers before extending the working relationship to friendship. Aside from working at construction sites, I also work at the Idi-Iroko border where I assist smugglers.
“Sometime in February 2018, I reconnected with David. I invited him to work at the border after his attempt to raise money through yahoo-yahoo (Internet fraud) failed.
“We agreed to start stealing phones and valuables from our lovers and prostitutes because we usually visit brothels daily for sexual pleasure after work.
“That night, after drinking at a bar in the Atan area of Ogun State, Edet and I proceeded to negotiate with prostitutes for sexual pleasure. Before approaching them, we planned to steal their valuables.
“The plan was successful. We had two unsuspecting prostitutes who believed we were good customers, but didn’t know our motives. We agreed for N5,000 for a night for each of the prostitutes. We paid N3,000 for lodging overnight at a nearby motel, which we used regularly.”
Edet then proceeded to sneak into Obanla’s room and steal both Obanla and the Prostitute’s phone so as not to raise suspicion.
The phone was then sold to another prostitute in Lagos for N20,000 which was then split between the two.
And then came the operation that got them in trouble. Obanla narrated how he met a lady on a bus and invited her over to their regular drinking bar.
“I spoke to the lady and invited her to our regular drinking bar.
“As usual, Edet and I planned how to steal the lady’s mobile phone and flee the scene. When the lady arrived at the bar where we were waiting for her, Edet and I sat separately to avoid being seen together.
“I purposely used the lady’s phone till the battery was low. I offered to help her charge the phone inside the bar. She agreed and released it to me.
“I kept the phone in my pocket and walked out to tell her that I was helping her to charge it. I then pretended I was receiving calls and stepped outside the bar from where I fled on a motorcycle and Edet followed me.
“We proceeded to the Abule Egba brothel to sell the phone as usual. We sold the phone to a sex worker. It was there that RRS officers tracked the phone to us and arrested us,” he said.