A robbery suspect, Godwin Olukporibe has been arrested by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, of the Lagos State Police Command following a tip-off on his whereabouts in Ibadan Oyo State.
Olukporibe has reportedly confessed that he was forced to form a robbery gang after his father-in-law demanded that he pay a N1.5 million bride price before he could marry his pregnant girlfriend.
He added that he could not afford the money at the time, but because he loved his wife and she was carrying his baby, he was forced to raise the money through armed robbery. He made N3 million on his first attempt, out of which he quickly paid the bride price and married his wife.
Olukporibe said he was motivated by the success of the first robbery operation to go into full time robbery and he later graduated into kidnapping.
The suspect, who hails from Etsako Local Government in Edo State, said he was not gainfully employed when he formed the gang and became their leader. They started off using his father’s car to rob their victims on the highways, then later purchased a car for their operations.
Oluporibe confessed that his gang was involved in several robbery operations on Benin-Lagos, Ibadan-Lagos expressways and Kwara State among others.
The suspect further said he had been a political thug for many years and went into armed robbery and kidnapping five years ago. He confessed that he was a political thug for prominent politicians who armed him with weapons such as AK47 rifles to attack their opponents. He said most times before the operation, the politicians will give him some money and promise to buy good things for him but after the operation, they will distance themselves from him. Oluporibe said he did not return most of the weapons, which the gang later used for their robbery and kidnapping operations.
He said he regretted being an armed robber and if given a chance, he would turn a new leaf. Olukporibe has been detained by SARS and would be charged to court soon.
