POLICE in Maiduguri have arrested soldier Lance Corporal Emmanuel Ebo after it emerged that he was using his position to steal weapons and supply them to a notorious gang of armed robbers said to be responsible for terrorising Ogun and Lagos States.

Following investigations into a string of violent crimes in the two states in which the robbers were using sophisticated weapons, an investigation was launched into how they were getting armed. After all pointed to Lance Corporal Ebo, he and the gang of robbers made up of Ahmed Monsuru, Bayo Olaoye, Olamilekan Omopeji, Ayodeji Famileye, Opeyemi Balogun, Michael Adebayo and Edward Paul were arrested by the Police Special Intelligence Monitoring Team. 

Lance Corporal Ebo, of Ijaw extraction, was extraction at his base in Maiduguri in Borno State, while the other suspects were picked up in various hideouts in Lagos, Ogun, and Oyo states. It was gathered that the corporal, who has confessed to the crime, was arrested by the team, led by Chief Superintendant of Police Abba Kyari, after the Department of Military Intelligence had been alerted by the police.

 During the raid, the police recovered six automatic pump-action rifles, a pistol and some cartridges from the suspects. This notorious gang of robbers had attacked commercial banks in Lekki, Ipakodo, Ijede and the Festac Town area of Lagos State and Agbara area of Ogun State at different times in the year.

 Police sources said that the soldier concealed the weapons in food items when he delivered them to Lagos from Borno State, while the robbers would credit his bank account upon receiving the weapons. According to the police, the Lance Corporal sold no fewer than 15 automatic pump-action rifles to the gang.

 One of the arrested suspects, 40-year-old Famileye from Ekiti State, said he sold an automatic rifle to the gang for N230,000, adding that he made over N60,000 on each rifle. Police spokesman Assistant Police Commissioner Olabisi Kolawole, confirmed the arrest of the suspects, adding that investigations were still ongoing into the matter.