“I Did Not Heed My Mother’s Warning” – One Chance Thief Confesses After Being Arrested

A man named Ajibola Alao has been arrested by the Lagos state police command for allegedly stealing valuables from residents during robbery attacks, commonly known as “one chance”.  He was arrested on Thursday last week, by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS). After stealing N60,000 and mobile phones from victim, Asotie Benedict, who resides in the Oshodi area of the state, Alao was arrested.

An Official told Punch that members of his gang had thrown the victim out of a moving vehicle.

The victim, in his statement to the police said he chased the vehicle till he spotted a patrol van of the RRS and raised the alarm.

“They chased the vehicle to a halt and arrested Alao, who took all I had on me. But the driver and the conductor abandoned the vehicle and escaped. All they took from me were found in his possession and some additional phones, which he said they took from previous victims,” he added.

Alao in his own statements to the police, said that he had been in the business of “one chance” for a while. His late mother had pleaded with him to stop the act, but when she died he went back to the trade to secure a better life for his siblings.

“I have been in the business of one chance since 2015. I was once a pickpocket, joining buses to Sango, Agege, Oshodi, Apapa, and disembarking after stealing from commuters.nAt a time, I was arrested by the Mushin Olosa Police station. My mum, who was ill and on admission in a hospital at that time, was brought to see me. She pleaded with the officers and secured my bail. She insisted that I should stop stealing from people. She added that the consequences would be too severe for me if I went back to crime. A few weeks after the incidence, she died. I went back to crime to raise funds for my siblings so that they won’t follow the same path. I am the first child and the breadwinner of the family. Since the death of my mother, I have been taking care of my brothers.” He confessed.

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The state Police Public Relations Officer, Dolapo Badmos, said the suspect had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Yaba, for further investigation.

Photo Credit: Punch