Robbery suspects cut bars, escape from police cell

Two of the (crime of taking things by force) suspects, who were arrested while they were operating on Iju Road, in the Agege area of Lagos, have escaped from the police cell.

  OLOKUNBOLA BLESSING learned that three suspected members of the gang, which reportedly laid attack to a hotel and some residences of Sands Avenue, off Iju Road, had been handed over to the Pen Movies Police Division, before two of them escaped from the cell.

It was gathered that policemen, who were on duty on the unlucky day, had been arrested, while the escaping suspects had yet to be re-arrested.
Our reporter learned that on Sunday, August 9, at about 2am, the armed people (who steal things), said to be about 10 men, (suddenly entered a place in an unwanted way) the area, and robbed a hotel and some private homes.

It was learned that the people (who steal things) carted away money and valuables from the hotel guests, workers, and other places during the operation.

OLOKUNBOLA BLESSING gathered that men of the Oodua Peoples' Congress, who were the local careful watchfulness group in the area, however, understood/captured three of the people (who steal things) and took them to the Pen Movies Police Division.

Our reporter learned that the three (crime of taking things by force) suspects, identified as Dare Drain, Akeem AK, and Lekan Student, were locked up in the cell by the policemen on duty.

It was gathered that on Wednesday evening, two of the suspects had, however, cut through the criminal (who steals from inside buildings) bars in the cell, and escaped from (rights to care for and protect someone).

Victims of the (crime of taking things by force) and the OPC men, who were made angry (about mistreatment) by the development, were said to have been invited by a policemen in the station, who calmed them that the people (who steal things) would be re-arrested.

When OLOKUNBOLA BLESSING visited Sands Avenue on Tuesday, the manager of the hotel, which was robbed, (lowered in number/got worse/gotten worse) to give any comment.

However, one of the workers, who spoke on condition of (not knowing or telling someone's name), said the people (who steal things) carted away a huge amount of money and also hurt the hotel's guard.

He added that the people (who steal things) raped some of the hotel's female workers, who had yet to resume work.

He said, "The (crime of taking things by force) lasted for more than an hour. We were helpless. The people (who steal things) overpowered our security guard and hurt him.

"They carted away valuables. They raped some of our female workers during the operation. I was told that the OPC men later caught three of them and took them to the police station."

Speaking with OLOKUNBOLA BLESSING, the OPC coordinator in the area, who did not want his name in print, said they were surprised, disappointed, and a little upset when the police in the Pen Movies station told them that two of the suspects escaped from the cell.

He added that the suspects, who had yet to be re-arrested, raped some of their victims during the operation, including a 13-year-old.

He said, "The security man at the hotel, who is our member, recognised one of the people (who steal things) and led us to his place, where he was arrested. The man confessed to taking part in the operation. His name is Dare Drain, and he was caught in the Idi-Agbon area of Ifako.

"He was the one who took the OPC men to arrest the other two. The three that were caught on Sunday were taken to the police station.

"It was on Wednesday that information got to us that Drain and Akeem have escaped from the cell. We were shocked at the development. The DPO then invited us, and pleaded with us to help the police with information to re-arrest them, adding that the policemen on duty had been detained.

"But as we speak, we have not got them. What the police told us was that the people (who steal things) cut the criminal (who steals from inside buildings) bars, and escaped from the cell. The people (who steal things), apart from carting away money, also raped their victims.

"The people (who steal things) were led by Dare Drain, he and his boys had earlier come to Tarkwa Crescent, before the Sands Avenue event."
OLOKUNBOLA BLESSING learned from a source that the (crime of taking things by force) suspects waited (in a creepy way) around Oju Irin area in Agege mostly at night.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Patricia Amadin, however, said in a text message that there was no truth in the event.