Senators Are Worse Than Robbers – Suspects

A  security guard with Honda Place Company, who was recently arrested by the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly conniving with robbers to steal goods worth over N28m from the company, has said the police should stop going after petty thieves like himself.

Instead, he said the police should focus their attention on politicians, especially senators and House members, whom he described as the “real thieves.”

The suspect, Garba Sani, complained that the N12, 000 he received as salary was too meagre and said he had no choice but to take to crime.

He said, “I’m not an armed robber. I was on duty and I called them (other suspects) and we took the goods. We did not carry guns. We have a lot of senators looting and we also need money. There are many thieves in Nigeria and most of us are jobless youths, we have nothing.

“I earn N12, 000 a month which is too small. We are all criminals in Nigeria and we have criminal blood in our body so nobody should pretend.”

Another suspect, Godwin Okwudili, said the police should drop all charges levelled against them since the stolen goods had since been recovered.

“Sani and I live in the same area. He called me that the goods were available and we went to take them. We did not carry guns. I took the goods to my warehouse and we did not sell them. Everything was recovered intact so what do they (police) want again?” he said.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, told PUNCH Metro that Sani, Okwudili, along with the other suspects, Obinna Ilojebe, Ndubuisi Ike and Anthony Etemah were arrested following thorough investigation which lasted for over eight months.

She said Sani was the security guard at the company and he connived with the other suspect to rob the company.

She said, “On June 31, 2012,  about 9pm, four suspects connived with Sani, who is a security guard at Honda Place Company, Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, to rob the company of Honda auto spare parts worth over N23m, an air conditioner worth N77,500, a 150 KVA generator worth N3.8m, an 8KVA generator worth N900,000.

“The total value of the goods is worth over N28m and after painstaking investigation, Sani was arrested. His confession led to the arrest of other suspects. The auto spare parts were recovered in Maya Village, Ikorodu, Lagos.”