The Lagos
State Police Command has arrested four suspected assassins for allegedly
agreeing to kill a London-based Nigerian.
It was learnt
that the suspects agreed to carry out the deed after they were promised
N300,000 by their client.
The four suspects; Salami Afeez, Dare Akinyemi,
Fatai Olunje and Taiwo Akinyemi; were apprehended in the Mushin area of the
state on December 11, 2014, by operatives of the command’s Special Anti-Robbery
Squad. It was learnt that a police detective
had gone undercover as a prospective client to be able to locate the hideout of
the suspects. Read more after the cut.....
The police
revealed that the suspected assassins were hired to kill a Nigerian, who
resided in London and was planning to visit home.
The police
added that the cop, who contacted the gang, wanted to be sure that the gang had
guns, and therefore asked them to produce their weapons, which the gang
allegedly did. The detective, however,
led the police to arrest the gang members in their hideout before they could
carry out the operation.
In his
confession, 23-year-old Afeez said their client promised to pay the gang
N300,000 for the assassination. He, however, denied that they had always been
assassins, adding that they were only enticed by the money.
He said, “The
client had not told us who the victim was. What he initially told us was that
there was an election operation which we would carry out for a politician. He
asked me to get more people to handle it. So, I got the other gang members.
“We planned
everything with the client, who we simply refer to as chairman, at a beer
parlour on Awawu Street, Mushin. Later on, when we were arrested, we got to
know that one of those people we were dealing with was actually a detective.
“It was not
that I worked as an assassin. I stay on Mustapha Street, Mushin, with my family
where I work as generator repairer. I am also a cult member. I was initiated
into the Aiye cult last year October. It was the money that enticed us. The
chairman promised to give us N300,000 for the job.”
Also,
Akinyemi, 31, said he was a drug trafficker before he was introduced to the
gang. He added that he, however, had yet to partake in any operation with the
members.
He said, “I
stay in Mushin. I deal in drugs. It was Taiwo who said he had a group which
wanted to carry out a lucrative operation, and I should be a part of it. I told
them that I don’t indulge in armed robbery, but they promised me a huge part of
the money.
“On the day
we were arrested, we were about collecting the N300,000 payment. Taiwo and I
went to a hotel lounge in Mushin, and that was where the police arrested us. I
have never killed before. This is my first time. We intended to spend the money
for Christmas.”
It was learnt that the third suspect, 43-year-old
Olunje from Ilorin, Kwara Sate, was the one who supplied the guns to the gang.
It was gathered that Olunje, who worked as a local security man, bought the
guns in 2006 without a license.
Kareem, 37,
who also hailed from Kwara, said he was deceived into going on the operation,
because their client, who only named himself as Chairman, made them believe he
was a well-to-do politician.
The police recovered
three rifles and a locally-made gun from the suspects. The Police spokesperson, DSP Kenneth Nwosu,
confirmed the arrest of the suspects, adding that investigations were ongoing.
He said, “The
suspects have confessed to the crime. Investigation continues on the matter.”
Culled: Punch
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