Teenage Sons of Retired Soldiers Caught in Armed Robbery Operation [DIARY]

I remember this particular story i anchored some years back. It wasa really sad one especially for the parents of the guys involved. Their children were armed robber while their parents were retired soldiers.

To make matters worse, the young robbers met their water loo when they least expected it and guess what their fathers told the police when they were informed of what their sons had done?

Read the story precisely the way i captured it back then:

Seeds of Sorrow

As sons of retired military officers, one might be tempted to expect them to at least, be law abiding citizens or even emulate their parents who are saddled with the responsibility of protecting the lives and properties of their fellow countrymen.

This is however not the case for three criminally minded teenagers who were caught while trying to escape after robbing unsuspecting occupants of a jeep parked along Satellite Town.

While their classmates busied themselves with academic challenges, they channeled their talent into perfecting the dreadful act of armed robbery. On February 7, 2007, they had set out to rob occupants of a jeep cruising along Satellite Town. For them, it was a disappointing outing because all they could get in their hurried operation was a necklace and a wedding ring. Wasting no time, they hopped on their motorcycles hoping to escape. Unfortunately for them, the driver of the jeep gave chase and rammed their bikes off the road. While the gang-leader, Lucky, died on the spot, one hid in a gutter by spending the night therein. The third who had seemingly escaped was later arrested.

Confessing to detectives, the boys, Gabriel Osiobe, Godwin Julius, Shola Mustapha and Johnson Atsev narrated their involvement in the crime.

However, while Julius and Shola admitted robbing the victims, they made it clear that Osiobe and Atsev were not at the scene of the crime. “Johnson and Gabriel didn’t participate in that robbery operation,” said Mustapha.

Mustapha, the son of a Retired Staff Sergeant (RSS) states that he has been robbing since 1999. “In this time, I’ve just robbed 3 times. I was hoping to stop because I was just looking for money to travel out of the country. I wanted to travel so that I could play football internationally. I play football and I take it seriously. I train inside the barracks. The coach always encouraged us to play. I’m a central defender. My father is a retired soldier and he’s a staff sergeant. I have a girlfriend. Her name is Jude Stella. She doesn’t know I’m here now. We just met recently.”

Still in S. S. S. 2 at the Army Cantonment Boys’ High School, he narrates how he met his waterloo. “We trailed a jeep a Satellite Town and when it parked, we just ran to the car and showed the occupants ‘Threaten’ (a make-shift gun). After we showed then the iron that we taped in black, we collected their jewelries. We would have collected their phones too but they had flung those inside the car and we didn’t have time so we just zoomed off on the motorcycles we used.”

He also opens up on how he spent the night in a gutter hoping to escape the wrath of the law. “The driver of the jeep gave us a chase and rammed us off our bikes. I managed to escape that day because when were rammed, I fell into a gutter and I stayed there unnoticed. I slept in the gutter till the following day. The next day, I crept out when it was still dark. I was in bad shape when I got home so I sent for my friend, Gabriel. I just told him I had an accident at work. He said what sort of work and I told him the whole story of how Lucky was killed, Godwin arrested and how I managed to escape.”

He had considered himself lucky but his joy was sort-lived. “I sent for Gabriel to assist me but unfortunately, this was when Godwin, accompanied by police, stormed in and I was arrested.”

Though he regrets his actions, it might be too late as his father has asked the police to make him face the music. “When my father was told bout what I did, he came here and I confessed to him. He just told the police to do whatever I deserved to me. He left that day and has never come back. I’m begging him to forgive me for all I have done. Father please forgive me. I will never do it again. I’ll never move with bad friends again. I’ve learnt my lesson. I regret being a robber. I would have gone into buying and selling but ‘my sense no reach that side.’ If you’re out there and you’re a thief, I’ll advise you to stop before it’s too late to do so. Crime doesn’t pay. If they leave me, I’ll start my football again. If I discover that my son is into armed robber, I would disown him immediately.”

Julius on the other hand claims he wasn’t practically involved even when he witnessed the entire operation and never tried to dissuade his fellow robbers. “My friends, Lucky and Shola asked me to get on a bike with them. I did, not know they were going to rob. As we were going along Satellite Town, a jeep parked and Lucky parked in front of the bike, came down, went to the car and held out a ‘threaten’ (make-shift gun). I saw him forcefully collecting things from the occupants of the car. Before I got there, they had collected everything they could. All they got was a chain and a wedding ring. The next thing Lucky did was mount the bike and hurriedly zoomed off. I had no choice but to follow suit. I also jumped on the other bike and they began speeding away.”

The 18-year-old son of an RSS recalls how he was arrested. “Before I realized what was happening, it was too late because the jeep that was robbed tried to crush the life out of us. It ran right into us and Lucky died on the spot. I saw myself on the ground and the police swooped down on us. I don’t know where they came from but we were arrested. It was at the police station that the implication of what had happened dawned on me. Lucky didn’t tell me he was going to rob. If I had known, I wouldn’t have followed him that day.”

He also maintained that Osiobe, though a robber, wasn’t part of that operation. “Gabriel didn’t follow us that day and I’ve told the police that he wasn’t there that day. I finished my secondary school education at Army Cantonment Boys’ Secondary School. My father is a retired military man. He’s fondly called Julius. He’s a staff sergeant. I beg the police to help us and forgive us. I just started robbing last year. If the police pardon, me, I promise to go back to my furniture work. I have a girlfriend. Her name is Basirat but she doesn’t know I’m a robber.”

In Osiobe’s case, it was simply an appointment with nemesis. “Let me confess to you. I used to rob before but I stopped. I was involved in just five robbery operations before I decided to give it up. This was in 2006. That was when I was still an armed robber. Back then, I used to rob on the road; especially in heavy traffic situations. I never used a gun because I didn’t have one.”

The 18-year-old who completed his secondary education barely seven years ago insists he was implicated. “My friends went to go and steal. I didn’t participate in the robbery operation but they implicated me. They went to steal at Satellite Town along Old Ojo Road. I live in Igando. My father is a retired soldier. I knew these guys when they we used to live in the barracks together. Back then, our fathers were all in the Nigerian army. My father’s name is Staff Darlington Osiobe. I didn’t follow them. I swear.”

He explains that the police had somehow used Shola as bait. “Shola called me and informed me that he had an accident. He then asked me to come and see him. It was when I went to see him that policemen just came out from nowhere and arrested me. This was when I knew I was set up. I was first taken to Agboju Police Station and was later transferred to the Command Headquarters in Ikeja. I was arrested on February 11, 2007 and was brought to Ikeja on Monday. I have already mentioned that I was not part of that robbery operation but I know what happened because they told me after I was arrested. Even when I used to rob, I just follow them. I was never really an active member but I admit that I used to be a thief. I’ve never raped or killed anyone before I never had a gun. The only person who had a gun was Lucky. He’s the one that was killed when the jeep tried to run over them. He died instantly. I’m a changed person now. I’m a trained furniture maker. I trained at Abule-Ado. I don’t have a wife yet. My mum is late but I live with my father.”

The odd man is a commercial cyclist (Okada rider), Atsev. The 28-year-old narrates how he was arrested for a crime he didn’t commit. “A vehicle filled with policemen parked in front of me. My nickname is J. J and they asked me if I was J. J. I said yes and they hijacked me, put me in a bus and brought me to the police station. I’m not a thief. I just know the boys involved because we all live in the barracks. They’re like younger brothers to me. My brother is a retired military man. He’s Staff Sergeant David Ugban. I’m not married yet because I don’t have money. The boys here can testify to the fact that I’m not a thief. I just know them.”

He also states that his explanation and plea to the police have fallen on deaf ears. “I’ve explained to the police that I’m not involved but the problem is that the boys know me. In a line up, they pointed me out saying they knew me and this is where the problem lies. After I was arrested, they didn’t even allow me explain anything. I was just beaten. None of my relatives or friends know where I am. I’ve been living in the barracks for almost six years. Some good Samaritans who wanted to intervene at the point where I was arrested were discouraged. The police told them that I’m an armed robber and that they had been looking for me for a very long time. The moment they heard this, they just walked away.”

He laments the fact that none of his relatives know he is being held by the police. “My people don’t know where I am. I can’t call anybody. I’m sure they’re still looking for me. I never knew these guys are robbers. Only God knows that I’m not an armed robber. Every other person thinks I’m a thief. If God saves me from this embarrassing situation, I’ll give glory to God and I’ll be very cautious about the company I keep.”

Source: Simply Samad's ARCHIVE