Twenty-one-year old Igbekele Segun, recently released from prison for armed robbery, may soon go back to join his former inmates. The suspect, who confessed to have earlier served prison term for robbery, has again been arrested for robbery.



Segun was arrested along with his two friends; Ahmed Yusuf, 22, and Babatunde Haruna, 22. The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni, said that the suspects were arrested after police responded to a distress call around Ajah area. Owoseni said:

“These suspects mainly operate within Ajah axis. They were arrested as a result of quick response of the police to a distress call that some armed robbers were operating at Thomas Estate in Ajah. They were going from flat to flat.”

Items recovered from them are three laptops, a Toyota Venza, four mobile phones, ATM cards and some other valuables. According to police, Segun was the brain behind the gang’s robbery operations.

Recalling the first time he was arrested for robbery, Segun said that a friend, whom he partnered with for the operation, was first grabbed by the police During interrogation, his friend mentioned his name. Police later used the said friend as bait to catch Segun.

They were charged to court and sentenced to just two months imprisonment. A few weeks after he was released, he planned this latest robbery, which again, landed him in police net. According to Segun, he went back to his old ways because he desperately needed money for his freedom after completing his Disc Jockey (DJ) apprenticeship.

He recounted: “I have been arrested before for robbery and sent to imprison for two months. I was later released. I went back to robbery because I needed money for my freedom. I trained as a DJ; after I completed my apprenticeship, there was no money to do my freedom.”

One of the suspects, Haruna, who is the only surviving son of his parents, said that he learnt mechanic as a trade. Just like Segun, he too didn’t have money for his freedom after his mechanic apprenticeship. He disclosed:

“I started robbing just this year. I learnt mechanic; I was told that I must do my freedom after I completed my apprenticeship. I decided to join bad gang. I followed my friends and they pushed me into this job.”

He disclosed that after robbery, they would sell the stolen items and share the money. Yusuf, with tears in his eyes, explained that although he had a job, he ventured into robbery for the first time because he was from a poor family. His words:

“This is my first time of going with them for robbery. I knew about the operation; we’ve already concluded the plan. It’s not that I didn’t have anything doing, I have a job; but I joined because I’m from a very poor family.”