Shock and disbelief could best describe the expression on the face of Pa Reuben Idowu Olukoya on discovering that his grandson masterminded the robbery operation in his apartment last Sunday. The septuagenarian had his Ikunoloja abode in Epe area of Lagos State invaded by men of the underworld.
Brandishing dangerous weapons, the no fewer than eight bandits ordered every member of the family to lie faced down while they ordered Pa Olukoya to go get them proceeds from some property he sold earlier that day. Perplex at their request, the old man pleaded passionately, insisting he had no money on him.
Throwing caution to the winds and in a display of total disregard for his age, the bandits reportedly hit the old man with an iron rod on the face, leading to his bleeding from the mouth and nose. Still , they insisted he must give them their demand.
Wreathing in excruciating pain, Olukoya managed to crawl into his bedroom from where he handed an unspecified money wrapped in several clothes to the intruders, who left with a warning to shoot any member of the family dead if they raised alarm.
After they had long gone, Olukoya was rushed to the hospital unconscious, from where doctors managed to resuscitate him. But report said he is still in shock.
Few days later, while the old man and members of his family were smarting from the incident, some policemen stormed the house demanding for his grandson, Dapo Olukoya, who was whisked into their waiting van.
To ascertain why 19-year-old Dapo was arrested, a family member followed them to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Ikeja, where to his dismay, it was revealed that Dapo gave the bandits information concerning the sale of some parcels of land by his grandfather.
Crime Guard gathered that some policemen at a stop-and -search routine duty at Ikorodu, arrested one of the suspected gang members, who during interrogation, mentioned nine other members including Dapo.
The suspects, according to police sources, confessed to have been behind several robbery operations in Ikorodu and its environs.
In this interview with Crime Guard, the alleged mastermind and principal suspect, Dapo, claimed to have initiated the robbery as a way of getting back at his father whom he accused of denying him his right in the family. Although he insisted he never directed the gang to inflict injury on his grandfather, he said all he wanted was just a share of the family’s fortune, which he hoped to start life with.
He said: “ I was neglected by my father.
Despite all the landed property my family has, my father refused to guarantee a better future for me. I had on several occasions begged him to, at least, rent a shop for me, but he refused. To get some money to start life with, I decided to get closer to my grandfather because he is the one directly in-charge of sales of landed property.
‘’Luckily for me, my grandfather started sending me on errands concerning the landed property. Errands like processing documents for people who bought land.
‘’It was in the process that I discovered that he was about selling 40 plots of land at N300,000 per plot.
Then, I decided to act fast by contacting a friend, Abiodun Adeleke, who promised to recruit some of his friends used as thugs in the last election, since they had been redundant since then. When the buyers came on that day, being Sunday, they paid money to my father and quickly, I informed the gang to strike that night because next day, they would be taking the money to bank.”
To avoid being fingered, Dapo reportedly told his grandfather he would be attending a vigil.
While in the church, he said, “I was praying for the success of the operation that night. At a point, my phone rang, only for one of them to say my grandfather insisted there was no money with him.
“I told them to search the entire room and they called again to say they did not find anything. Then, I asked them to add little force, as that would make my grandfather yield to their demand. I swear, I never told them to spill blood. They later called to say they had found some money.
‘’After the vigil, I went home and, to my shock, I saw people crying.
I thought Abiodun and his boys had killed my grandfather. When I got closer, I saw my grandfather gasping for breath, he was later rushed to the hospital.
‘’Please, help me beg him to forgive me. I promise not to do it again,” Dapo pleaded.
The suspects, according to Police sources, would be charged to court at the end of investigation.
