Pregnant Mother Of Two Among 8-Member Gang Robbery Suspects

Seven armed robbers, said to have killed two Policemen and wounded several others at Iju-Ishaga area of Lagos State, were yesterday paraded by the Lagos State Police Command. The eighth member of the gang was said to have been killed by the police.
The suspects include a married woman, 28-year-old Taiwo Obafunsho, a mother of two who is also three months pregnant.
Obafunsho said that she knew the gang through one of their girlfriends called Shade, who she met at Mushin where she has a shop.
The other suspects are Ife Olubaba, 29 who is the alleged gang leader; Saheed Wasiu, 23; Sedu Idowu 20; Wasiu Rafiu, 23; Odelade Kabiru, 26; Waliu Sanni, 29, and Taiye Agege said to be dead.
The suspects were found with two AK-47 rifles, one automatic pump-action gun, four locally-made pistols, two fully-loaded AK-47 magazines, 135 live cartridges and a Hyundai Tucson sports utility vehicle, number plate MUS 350 BG.
In his confession, Rafiu said: “The first operation we went for was at Agege and I was given N10,000. I was arrested at Oshodi.
“I did not know anything about it. But because they saw Taiye and me together, I was arrested. I did not even know what was happening. I did not follow them during the second operation.”
Another suspect, Sanni, said they took three vehicles for the operation, but that they did not find anything or any body to rob.
Confirming the incident, Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Ngozi Braide stated that it was a follow-up to what happened on November 3, where some robbers attacked policemen attached to Iju Police Station in Lagos at 3a.m.
“On October 9, when a group of armed robbers carted away two police riffles, the Commissioner of Police, Umar Manko, directed the officer in charge of SARS Ikeja, SP Abba Kyari, to launch a massive manhunt for the robbers and recover the snatched rifles.
“Police efforts paid off when eight of the armed robbers, led by one Ife Olubaba, a boy to Godogodo, kingpin of South-West armed robbers, were arrested at various locations in Lagos and Ogun states.
“During the exchange of fire between the armed robbers and crack SARS operatives, one Taiye Agege was fatally wounded.”
She said all the arrested suspects confessed to have taken part in the Iju operation, where Policemen were fired. She said efforts were on to arrest the remaining gang members.