Detectives in Lagos last week invaded a robbers’ den, recovering a cache of ammunition and arresting six armed robbery suspects.

Led to the hide-out by two robbery suspected, detectives at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) stormed a robbers’ den, at Ijora Badia in Lagos, and recovered two AK 47 rifles, one FNC rifle, 11 locally made single barrel shotgun, one toy gun and 13 cutlasses. Some robbery suspects were also arrested. They include Mohammed Nasiru, Afam Mbonu, Lukmon Musa, Okon Godwin, Segun Adewale and Quadri Amao.

Speaking with Daily Sun, a police source, who pleaded anonymity, said the area was volatile as a result of the concentration of robbers.

He said: "Of recent, Ijora Badia has become notorious. We also got information that the arms and ammunition that were being used were kept there. Most of the robbers that had their headquarters in the area hardly robbed there for fear of being identified. They were always operating in Ajegunle, Mushin and Lagos Island. When we arrested the first two suspects, they confessed to being the gang leaders and led us to their den, where we arrested the other six suspects."

None of the suspects, however, admitted being an armed robber. According to them, they were victims of circumstance, who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Adewale, 23, said: "I work in a bakery and it is in the same place the policemen went to raid. I took a break with my friend, Lukmon and was arrested by the police. I told him that I live and work at the bakery but they refused to listen to me."

Nasiru, 23, a cart pusher, said when he saw people running helter skelter, he abandoned his truck and followed them. "I was arrested on Wednesday. I was pushing my cart at Gaskia in Ijora Badia, when I saw people running. I left my truck and followed them, because everywhere was in pandemonium. When I came back, I saw policemen chasing me.
"Unknown to me, some policemen were in front of us and I was picked up. I am not a thief and I don’t know anything about the gang," he said.

Edwin, 23, who claimed to be a staffer of the Apapa Local Government, said he was picked up when he was coming back from work. He said: "It was some minutes past 4 pm and I was just leaving my office. I had earlier misplaced my identity card, so I could not identify myself as a staffer of the council. All efforts to convince the police that I was not a thief was rebuffed and I was brought to SCID.

Mbonu, 30, a commercial motorcycle also claimed to be innocent. He said: "I live near Badia Town Hall. My bike developed fault and I came here to take some money. As I stepped out of my house, policemen arrested me, saying I was an armed robber."

The fifth suspect, Quadri Amao, 49, said he was in his sitting room when he was picked up. "I was watching television when policemen entered my room and said I was one of the leaders of the gang. It still appears like a bad dream to me."
Detectives, however, said investigations continue to ascertain the involvement of the suspects in armed robbery.