3rd October, 2013
A suspected serial house burglar, Sunday Johnson, has confessed that he has burgled at least 15 houses after he was arrested by the police in Lagos, southwest Nigeria.
The suspect is currently helping detectives at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, led by Abba Kyari, a Superintendent of Police, to fish out other members of his gang.
Sunday, 20, who claimed to be a resident of 39, Agbe Street, Olodi Apapa, was arrested by the anti-robbery policemen attached to Tolu Police Division and transferred to SARS for investigation.
The Isoko, Delta State-born suspect, confessed that he specialises in breaking into houses at night, but claimed he does not go for operation with arms and ammunition.
The suspect, who claimed to be a fashion designer by profession, said that the matter that led to his arrest was neither stealing nor robbery but a fight in a hotel.
But the police maintained that he and his gang stormed a hotel where prostitutes reside, caused commotion in the hotel and in the process, robbed the victims of their money, handsets and other valuables and escaped.
It was gathered that after the robbery attack, he went into hiding until the police who acted on a tip off arrested him.
According to him, the “police arrested me in a hotel where prostitutes patronise. There was a fight there between prostitutes and some men. One man wanted to get hold of my friend, but I grabbed him and fought with him.
“I gave him a blow in his teeth and even injured my hand in the process. So I went to treat myself and later heard that two boys robbed in the hotel and robbed the same man I fought with of his phones.”
He further narrated how he landed in police net: “As I was in the field playing ball, police came and arrested me. They were from Tolu Police Post in Ajegunle. I had stolen up to 15 times before my mother advised me to stop. I steal only phones, laptops and money. I steal in houses in my area at night. I use blade to cut window nets around 2 a.m. when people are asleep.”
—Josephine Odum-John