Two Chadian suspects who participated in the recent attack on the Ikoyi, Lagos residence of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore has sensationally narrated how they invaded the house but strictly to rob and not to kill the politician.
The suspects, Mohammed Musa and Ibrahim Abdulahi, who are both Chadian nationals, were tracked down and arrested by the operatives of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS), at the Lagos State police command.
About five weeks ago, the senator had raised the alarm over an assassination attempt on his life by unknown gunmen who stormed his Lagos residence in the early hours of June 18. The police had also said it shot one of the assassins who was later identified as Musa, in the leg while trying to escape after a distress call from one of the occupants of the house.
The suspects, who invaded the home around 2a.m, were said to have tied up all security guards in the compound and headed straight to the senator’s room but were disappointed as Omisore was not home at the time they struck.
In the course of police investigation, Musa led detectives to their hideout along Lekki -Epe road where the second suspect, Abdulahi was arrested while two others escaped.
Ready to bare it all, Abdulahi, 29, who hails from Amtiman area of Chad, insists that they are robbers, not assassins. According to him: “We never knew that the house belongs to a senator. We felt that it was one of those houses in Ikoyi that is rarely occupied.
“Initially, we hanged around Obalande till about 12 midnight. We later relocated to Ikoyi and hid beside flowers so that policemen on patrol will not spot us. We made use of the Iron cutter to cut the security wire and our leader, Saleh scaled the fence to study the environment.
“Minutes later, he gave us signal and the three of us scaled the fence and jumped into the compound. Luckily, the security men were fast asleep, so it was easy to overpower them and tie them up. Ahmed was asked to stay by the gate while the rest of us moved into the main building.
“Also, with the aid of the iron cutter, we were able to remove the protector and gained entrance. We only saw the housemaid in the house and she told us that she was alone in the house. We ransacked the house and took some valuables consisting of clothes, phones and some other gadgets.
“Instead of losing out completely, we took turns and raped the housegirl, before leaving the house. It was while we were on our way that policemen ambushed us. We managed to escape while Ahmed was shot at.”
The Nation reports a more brutal tale. According to the paper, on gaining entry into the house, the robbers pointed a gun at the housemaid and ordered her to undress. The hapless housemaid was reportedly reluctant in carrying out the invaders’ instruction, following which they became angry and beat her mercilessly, tearing her clothe and stripping her naked before assaulting her sexually. The poor housemaid was said to have been left unconscious by the robbers who thereafter, ransacked the house.
On why Senator Omisore’s house was selected for attack, Abdulahi said that most of the houses in Ikoyi are occupied by few residents. “It is either the owner of the house that is in the compound or caretakers. We observed that there was not much activity going on in that area and there were no armed men”, he stated. Abdulahi blamed his misfortune on his quest to marry a second wife. “My mother called to inform me that she has found a beautiful girl who will become my second wife. I needed to raise some money to embark on the trip to Chad for the marriage. This was how Saleh convinced me to join their group. I have only accompanied him for about four times in Ikoyi to burgle houses. I have been saving seriously for the trip before I was arrested.”
Abdulahi, who came to Nigeria in 2010, said he does not have a resident permit as he felt it was unnecessary to do so. His words: “I came down to Nigeria with so many other Chadians to make a living. I was advised by my friends that there is no need to register and no one can differentiate us from people from Northern Nigeria.
“Initially, I was working as a security man in the Anthony area of Lagos, but lost my job when the company closed down. Musa, who is my cousin, allowed me to stay in his house while I searched for another job. I desperately needed money so that I will not lose that woman as my mother told me that so many men wanted her hand in marriage. ”
The second suspect, Musa, 26, said that he was lured into the crime when he lost his job. “It is a shame to go back to my country empty handed. A lot of our people who travelled down to Nigeria had built houses and living fine. I saw them as petty thieves and prayed that we will never be caught.
“On the day of the incident, I was outside watching the security men while the others were inside. It was when we were about leaving the house that police opened fire at us and I was caught. We did not go there with guns; it was only machetes, iron cutters and some equipment”, he added.
