Chiemelie Ezeobi
The five-man gang who robbed the Jos home of Super Eagles and Trabzonspor of Turkey defensive midfielder, Ogenyi Onazi, on Thursday regaled journalists in Lagos on why and how they carried out the operation.
The suspects, who were identified as Kingsley David, Ugochukwu Ebuka, Osita Ezeamu, Ali Audu and Joseph Ozo, were said to have raided the Jos home of the footballer three days ago, before they were arrested yesterday in Lagos.
The suspects had attacked the footballer’s aged father, Mr. Wilson Onazi and made away with his ATM cards, some cash and his white Toyota Highlander jeep with registration number JMU 300 AA.
Although the robbery had occurred in Jos, Plateau State, they were arrested at the Ajangbadi area by some police detectives led by the Divisional Police Officer, Alim Musa, a Chief Superintendent of Police.
When they were paraded at the State Command Headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos, it was discovered that the entire operation was masterminded by the victim’s neighbour in Jos.
According to the gang, they had carried out the operation primarily because the victim made no move to help them in their quest for green pastures, adding that they wanted to use the car to celebrate Sallah.
The suspects were arrested at the Ajangbadi area of Lagos while attempting to sell off the Toyota Highlander car to a prospective buyer.
The mastermind, one Kingsley Davis, said the victim was their neighbour in Jos, adding that he was the one that brought up the idea before others bought into it.
His confession: “My team members are my neighbours and friends. We were just discussing when the idea came up. Contrary to what they said, we did not beat him (Onazi’s father) up. We only used the knife to tell him we wanted to borrow his car for the Sallah break.
“After the operation, we had left Jos and came to Lagos to meet our contact person. We were on the way when somewhere in Ajangbadi, the police stopped us. The rest is history,” confessed the gang leader.
For 26-year-old Ugochukwu Ebuka, although six of them planned the attack, only three of them participated in the operation.
He said, “It took us one week to conclude plans of how to carry out the attack. It was Kingsley who brought the information about the house. On that fateful day, we arrived the house around 10am.
“Joe knocked on the gate and few minutes later an elderly man emerged from inside the compound. He opened the gate. At first we did not know that it is Onazi’s father.
“Three of us tried to force our way into the compound but the man resisted. He appeared drunk that morning so we over powered him. We wrestled him to the ground. We told him we were not going to harm him and that we only wanted his money.
“We discovered that the old man live alone. There was no guard at the gate. No cook or wife, but just him alone in a big house.
“Joe held a cutlass but we did not use it on him. We asked for money but he said he had none. We searched the seating room. Later we went into his bed room. I think he gave us just N5,000 and his ATM card. We took a bag containing two pairs of canvas on our way out.
“We collected the keys of the Toyota Highlander packed in front of the house and drove away. We threw the ATM card away because it was not functioning.
“It was Kingsley who organised the operation but he did not participate. Kingsley was angry at the old man because he felt that he was not assisting anybody. He lives alone and never bordered about any other person.
“It was Kingsley who also planned our movement to Lagos. He told us that he had contacted someone. When we left the place we hid the car at Feringhana area of Jos to allow the heat to die down. Three hours later we headed towards Lagos.
“We arrived Ajangbadi on Tuesday and we stayed in an hotel. We met Osita Ezeana at a drinking joint at Ajangbadi. We told him we have a car to sell. We had not agreed at a price when the police arrested us.”
Another suspect, one Joseph Ozo, a graduate of University of Jos, said he was called by the gang because he can drive.
He said, “I am a graduate but I was invited into this operation by Kingsley. I followed them for the operation but my job was to drive, which I did after I had collected the key.”
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, who paraded the suspects, said the criminals were probably heading to Seme border, Badagry where they intend to sell of the car.
Owoseni, who said the suspects and the exhibits will soon be transferred to Plateau State Command for further investigation and prosecution, adding that it was a testimony that policing has no boundaries.
He said, “The Nigeria Police Force under the Inspector General of Police, Idris Ibrahim, is well more positioned.
“The police is also poised to ensure that no matter where the crime is committed in any part of the country, the police headquarters has given teeth to bite to the commands.”
