Adedeji Idowu...’I never knew the robbers I contracted to rob my mother would end up killing her’
Adedeji Idowu, a 46-year-old Nigerian had travelled to the United States of America some years back in search of the proverbial greener pastures. However, when his visa expired and he strove to eke out a living at all cost, took to shoplifting and credit card fraud and was arrested by the police, detained and deported.
Adedeji Idowu, a 46-year-old Nigerian had travelled to the United States of America some years back in search of the proverbial greener pastures. However, when his visa expired and he strove to eke out a living at all cost, took to shoplifting and credit card fraud and was arrested by the police, detained and deported.
On arriving Nigeria, he started the struggle to survive because things became very difficult for him and his wife, Adebimpe Nusirat Kosoko, a graduate of English Language from the Lagos State University (LASU). According to Idowu who is in police custody along with his wife and two others whom he had contracted to rob his mother on arrival from the U.S., he was bitter because his mother, Alhaja Sakirat Idowu, 65, failed to assist him recover a debt of over N4 million from those who are owing him in the US.
Idowu admitted that although his late mother failed to help him recover the debt owed him in America, he said she sent an undisclosed amount of money to him to keep body and soul together. However, he said what his late mother sent to him was far cry from what he needed to remain in business as a car dealer in Lagos.
The man who gave account of how his mother was robbed and killed, said his intention was not to kill the old woman but to indirectly get more money from her to invest in his auto business.
Outgoing Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Marvel Akpoyibo explained during a press briefing that the anti-robbery operatives of the command succeeded in unravelling why and how the US-based woman was lured to return home to be robbed.
Akpoyibo said there are chains of events that led to the eventual robbery, shooting and the death of Alhaja Sakirat. According to the police boss, “Adedeji Idowu and his wife, including another male suspect, Maminu Olusoji (alias Ologede), aged about 40 years and two others are involved in the violent death of the America returnee.”
Akpoyibo said on the November 5, 2010, Idowu, one of the biological children of the deceased, approached a notorious criminal gang led by Ologede seeking the assistance of the gang to rob his mother who was then billed to return to the country from the US on 1st of December, last year. “In an apparent bid to demonstrate his seriousness towards the accomplishment of his mission, Idowu again approached the Ologede gang, intimating the gang and reconfirmed his mother’s arrival date and time and stated his irrevocable commitment to the deal,” Akpoyibo stated.
All the while, according to Akpoyibo, Idowu had taken his wife, a mother of one into confidence concerning the planned robbery of the old woman. The wife did nothing to dissuade or prevent her husband. “By the time the woman returned to the country , the stage was already set for the execution of the crime,” Akpoyibo said.
The Commissioner of Police stressed that on the date of the woman’s return to the country through Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, Idowu and one of his collaborators drove to the airport to pick up his mother at about 9.30pm and drove her straight to her residence in Okota-Isolo, a suburb of Lagos.
As soon as Alhaja arrived her Lagos home, Idowu who had earlier accompanied her from the airport, craftily excused himself from the welcome party he had organised for his mother only to go and signal Ologede and members of his gang to strike. Moments later, Ologede and his gang, as pre-arraigned, struck and robbed the old helpless woman. She was robbed of laptops, assorted jewelleries, phones, cash and other valuables. “She was then shot in the chest and she died instantly,” Akpoyibo said.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), Lagos State Police Command, Mr. Frank Mba, said investigations show that the actual armed robbery operation was carried out by the quartet of Ologede, Irabor, Owolowo and Ambali. He said the gang arrived Alhaja’s residence in a BMW belonging to Ambali, one of the gang members. He said the gang escaped from the scene after killing the woman using the same vehicle.
Mba also said both Idowu and his wife, Adebimpe, took part in the sharing of the proceeds of the robbery. “While Idowu got two laptops, a blackberry phone and cash sum of $200, Adebimpe got assorted jewelleries stolen from her mother-in-law. Most of these items had already been sold to receivers of stolen properties on the streets of Lagos,” he said.
In addition, Mba said a search conducted on the house and premises of one of the suspects, Mr. Ologede, led to the recovery of two live cartridges and a huge collection of charms.
However, Idowu, his wife and Ologede, the leader of the notorious gang have confessed the role played byeach of them. Adedeji Idowu, who gave a graphic account, narrated how on a particular day, his mother phoned him that she was visiting Nigeria. “When I learnt that mummy would be visiting home, I contacted Ologede who contacted his members for the operation. When she arrived at MMIA, Ologede and I went to the airport to pick her. Before she arrived home, the youths whom Ologede had contacted had been waiting for her at the gate. “After mummy settled down for a while, I pretended as if I was going out and Ologede boys entered the house. As I was coming back, I heard a gunshot and I knew things had gone awry. I did not mean to kill her. The boys whom Ologede hired were overzealous.” He then broke down in tears.
His wife, Adebimpe in her own confession, claimed she only knew about her man’s involvement after her mother-in-law had been killed. She said: “When people are pointing accusing fingers at my husband, I did not believe it until the cat was let out of the bag. I am ashamed of myself and for marrying the man,” she said.
Adebimpe also confirmed that Idowu sent her to meet Ologede for the loot. “But I was disappointed when Ologede handed me just $200, a laptop and jewelleries. I was surprised that my husband could organise an armed robbery to kill anyone, not to talk of his own mother,” she said, adding that she could not expose Idowu but regretted that she failed to inform her father-in-law.
On his part, Ologede said he was trying to assist Idowu to get money from his mother to invest accordingly in his auto business. He denied killing the returnee, alleging that it was one Ambali, a member of the gang, who shot the woman. Responding to the allegation when questioned, Ambali said that he wanted to threaten the woman to part with all the money on her. He said he has begged God to forgive him for shedding blood.
Idowu admitted that although his late mother failed to help him recover the debt owed him in America, he said she sent an undisclosed amount of money to him to keep body and soul together. However, he said what his late mother sent to him was far cry from what he needed to remain in business as a car dealer in Lagos.
The man who gave account of how his mother was robbed and killed, said his intention was not to kill the old woman but to indirectly get more money from her to invest in his auto business.
Outgoing Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Marvel Akpoyibo explained during a press briefing that the anti-robbery operatives of the command succeeded in unravelling why and how the US-based woman was lured to return home to be robbed.
Akpoyibo said there are chains of events that led to the eventual robbery, shooting and the death of Alhaja Sakirat. According to the police boss, “Adedeji Idowu and his wife, including another male suspect, Maminu Olusoji (alias Ologede), aged about 40 years and two others are involved in the violent death of the America returnee.”
Akpoyibo said on the November 5, 2010, Idowu, one of the biological children of the deceased, approached a notorious criminal gang led by Ologede seeking the assistance of the gang to rob his mother who was then billed to return to the country from the US on 1st of December, last year. “In an apparent bid to demonstrate his seriousness towards the accomplishment of his mission, Idowu again approached the Ologede gang, intimating the gang and reconfirmed his mother’s arrival date and time and stated his irrevocable commitment to the deal,” Akpoyibo stated.
All the while, according to Akpoyibo, Idowu had taken his wife, a mother of one into confidence concerning the planned robbery of the old woman. The wife did nothing to dissuade or prevent her husband. “By the time the woman returned to the country , the stage was already set for the execution of the crime,” Akpoyibo said.
The Commissioner of Police stressed that on the date of the woman’s return to the country through Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, Idowu and one of his collaborators drove to the airport to pick up his mother at about 9.30pm and drove her straight to her residence in Okota-Isolo, a suburb of Lagos.
As soon as Alhaja arrived her Lagos home, Idowu who had earlier accompanied her from the airport, craftily excused himself from the welcome party he had organised for his mother only to go and signal Ologede and members of his gang to strike. Moments later, Ologede and his gang, as pre-arraigned, struck and robbed the old helpless woman. She was robbed of laptops, assorted jewelleries, phones, cash and other valuables. “She was then shot in the chest and she died instantly,” Akpoyibo said.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), Lagos State Police Command, Mr. Frank Mba, said investigations show that the actual armed robbery operation was carried out by the quartet of Ologede, Irabor, Owolowo and Ambali. He said the gang arrived Alhaja’s residence in a BMW belonging to Ambali, one of the gang members. He said the gang escaped from the scene after killing the woman using the same vehicle.
Mba also said both Idowu and his wife, Adebimpe, took part in the sharing of the proceeds of the robbery. “While Idowu got two laptops, a blackberry phone and cash sum of $200, Adebimpe got assorted jewelleries stolen from her mother-in-law. Most of these items had already been sold to receivers of stolen properties on the streets of Lagos,” he said.
In addition, Mba said a search conducted on the house and premises of one of the suspects, Mr. Ologede, led to the recovery of two live cartridges and a huge collection of charms.
However, Idowu, his wife and Ologede, the leader of the notorious gang have confessed the role played byeach of them. Adedeji Idowu, who gave a graphic account, narrated how on a particular day, his mother phoned him that she was visiting Nigeria. “When I learnt that mummy would be visiting home, I contacted Ologede who contacted his members for the operation. When she arrived at MMIA, Ologede and I went to the airport to pick her. Before she arrived home, the youths whom Ologede had contacted had been waiting for her at the gate. “After mummy settled down for a while, I pretended as if I was going out and Ologede boys entered the house. As I was coming back, I heard a gunshot and I knew things had gone awry. I did not mean to kill her. The boys whom Ologede hired were overzealous.” He then broke down in tears.
His wife, Adebimpe in her own confession, claimed she only knew about her man’s involvement after her mother-in-law had been killed. She said: “When people are pointing accusing fingers at my husband, I did not believe it until the cat was let out of the bag. I am ashamed of myself and for marrying the man,” she said.
Adebimpe also confirmed that Idowu sent her to meet Ologede for the loot. “But I was disappointed when Ologede handed me just $200, a laptop and jewelleries. I was surprised that my husband could organise an armed robbery to kill anyone, not to talk of his own mother,” she said, adding that she could not expose Idowu but regretted that she failed to inform her father-in-law.
On his part, Ologede said he was trying to assist Idowu to get money from his mother to invest accordingly in his auto business. He denied killing the returnee, alleging that it was one Ambali, a member of the gang, who shot the woman. Responding to the allegation when questioned, Ambali said that he wanted to threaten the woman to part with all the money on her. He said he has begged God to forgive him for shedding blood.
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