A businesswoman has been arrested for allegedly wining and dining with suspected armed robbers.
The woman and two other men were arrested on July 9 for allegedly deceiving people into boarding their tricycles otherwise known as ‘Keke Marwa,’ after which the passengers would be taken to an isolated location and robbed of their valuables.
The suspects, presently in police net, are Monsuru Jamiu (21), Jamiu Ahmed (20) and Queen Victor (40).
After the suspects’ arrest, police recovered a tricycle, marked BDG 318 AE, with which the gang allegedly used for its operation.
The police also recovered a Huawei Android and Intel Android phones. The suspects were arrested just as they were about to sell the phones.
The police said that the gang used to operate on Ebute-Metta Road, Lagos Island and Apapa axis.
The police further alleged that Victor, a food vendor, was the leader of the gang. Victor, had, however, denied knowing the two other suspects. She also denied ever having anything to do with them.
She insisted that she was framed and accused of crimes she didn’t commit.
She said: “I was arrested on July 6. Police said that I knew these two guys and was accused of aiding them in using their tricycle to rob people. But I don’t know them. I have never seen them before today.”
Police said that Victor used to aid the two suspects by assisting them to sell stolen phones and other valuables.
She would then hand the proceeds to the men. She was also accused of contributing N5,000 to the gang, which is used to fuel the operational tricycle.
Victor said: “I have my own business. I sell food. Police said that it was one of their boys who I know that told them that I used to contribute N5,000 to buy fuel for the gang’s tricycle. I was arrested in my shop, which is at Olowojeje, Ajegunle.”
One of the suspects, Ahmed snarled: “She’s lying! She’s the person that used to organise our operations. We give her phones that we steal and she in turn, gives us N5,000 to buy petrol for our tricycle. We have not met her personally. It is our friend, Prince, who used to act as middle person between us and the woman.”