How police arrested me after I robbed ‘Yahoo boys’ –Suspect

Aliyu Abubakar is one of the suspects arrested by the police over alleged stealing of 87 mobile phone, 10 laptops and 11 generators from students of the Kwara State University, Malete in the Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State. He tells TUNDE OYEKOLA about the circumstances of his arrest

What is your name?

My name is Aliyu Abubakar.

How old are you and what do you do for a living?

I am 25 years old. I am from Lafiagi in the Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State. I live in the Elekoyangan area on the way to the Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin. I’m a Senior Secondary School Certificate holder but I also learnt furniture making and  gained freedom in 2019. I had my workshop at Asa Dam Road, Ilorin until recently when I could no longer pay the rent for the shop. I’m married with a kid but my wife has left me for her village when she realised that I’m involved in stealing.

When did you start stealing?

I started about two years ago. I was introduced to it by a friend called Apalando, who is a telephone repairer. I met Apalando when I wanted to repair my phone which fell into water. He told me to be bringing used phones to him whenever I have phones to sell. But I don’t know his shop; he only told me  his shop is in the Challenge area, Ilorin. I have never been to his shop but we used to meet at the rail line anytime we had an operation to perform.

Where were you arrested?

I was arrested while coming from Malete.The police saw me carrying a bag when I was coming from where we went to burgle the hostel of students of the Kwara State University, Malete. We went to burgle the hostel, which was occupied by Yahoo boys (Internet fraudsters). They had slept off when we tore the net of the window. We used long sticks to draw their phones and removed them. My two colleagues, Apalando and Ridwan, that I went with, told me to take the phones to Ilorin. It was when I was going to Ilorin that policemen on stop-and-search duty at a checkpoint stopped me and searched the bag I was carrying and discovered the phones and three laptops. I tried to escape but I was caught.

How many phones did you have in the bag?

We stole six phones and three laptops from the hostel at Malete.

But the police said you were found with 87 phones, 10 generators and two laptops. What happened?

The phones and computers and the generators were recovered from the home of Apalando who had run away. He told me that he sells London-used phones and also repairs phones and that some people gave him the phones to repair.

How many robbery operations have you participated in since you started robbing about two years ago?

I have gone several times but they have arrested me only three times.

How did you regain freedom after the arrests?

I have been to the prison three times. I was just released from prison about a month ago after completing a one-year jail term. I was convicted of burglary and stealing by the court.

What do you do with the stolen phones?

I sell them to Apalando who is a phone repairer. I have sold many phones to him.

How much do you sell the phones?

Sometimes, he gave me N20,000 or N15,000 for a phone, depending on the quality and whether it is an iPhone or an android.

How did you get the gun that you were using for robbery?

It was Apalando who used to bring the gun and he is the one that used to recruit us anytime we had an operation to go.

You were alleged to have stolen a car belonging to one of your customers. Is it true?

Yes, I stole the car belonging to a Yahoo boy who contracted me to make furniture for him. I billed him the sum of N600,000 and he paid me only N400,000 out of the money. He promised to pay the balance of N200,000 on Saturday but I stole his car on Friday and changed the colour of the car from red to black. He did not know that I was the one who stole his car.

Is it true that you also raped female university students during your operation?

No, I did not rape anybody.  It was Apalando and other members of the gang that used to rape the girls.

Why did you take to stealing instead of focusing on your work as a  furniture maker?

It is the work of the devil. Some mallams have told me that the problem is from my family and they had prayed for me but the problem still persists. Please, help me beg the police to pardon and release me for this; I will not do it again.

You said you were married; where is your wife?

She has left me and gone back to her village when she discovered that I was involved in stealing.

(Culled from Punch)