Police detectives at Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FEDSARS) Adeniyi Adele, Lagos said on Tuesday, that an armed robbery suspect, one Monday Osakwe, has two cases to answer, including attack on his former girlfriend and participating in series of armed robbery operations in the state.
A top Police source in FEDSARS, revealed this to our correspondent at the weekend. He added that the suspect would soon be taken to court on the first part of his crime, “attack and inflicting bodily harm on another person.” Police said Osakwe and other members of his gang have been on the wanted list of the FEDSARS for some time now. The Police chief stated that, following a tip-off, operatives attached to his station had monitored activities of Osakwe since March before his final arrest on June 23rd this year. “His arrest followed a confession by a member of his gang who had been with us since January this year.”
The Police source said, that the robbery suspect who gave out Osakwe, had confessed to the law enforcement agency that Osakwe, himself and other members of the robbery gang have carried out series of operations in different parts of Lagos State.
Police said the very operation that blew the whistle on the activities of the gang was an attempted bank robbery operation at Trade Fair Complex in Lagos in February this year. “Though they did not succeed, we decided to investigate the foiled operation. Eventually, we were able to arrest one member of the gang of eight, called Oyinyechukwu Amadi. It’s Oyinyechukwu that exposed Osakwe and we went after him and not the innocent lady.”
Police confirmed that the girl who is now lying critically at an undisclosed hospital within the town with chances of survival very slim, was bathed with acid on June 22nd shortly before Osakwe was arrested by the Policemen from Isokoko Division in Agege and handed over to FEDSARS.
Police described as unfortunate and untrue the insinuation that because the girl gave Police information about the robbery suspect, that was the reason she was bathed with acid.
Police gave the name of the victim as Veronica Mbakwe, a native of Ngwa in Abia State, South-Eastern Nigeria.
It was also gathered that the victim was a live-in lover to the robbery suspect for over five years. “They have been living in the same apartment as lovers for over five years now. Neighbours said they were planning their formal marriage ceremony come December.”
Police said, Osakwe’s apartment has been searched by Police investigators and one locally made pistol, five cartridges, two machetes, charms, five unactivated GSM SIM cards, two laptops and other incriminating items were recovered from his home of residence.
