allAfrica.com: Nigeria: 'I Went Into Robbery to Prove That I Am Capable of Taking Care of My Family' (Page 1 of 1)

Nigeria: 'I Went Into Robbery to Prove That I Am Capable of Taking Care of My Family'

The joy of every newly wedded couple usually gets to an elastic limit at the arrival of a third party, that is a baby. To further demonstrate their happiness and appreciation to the Almighty for such bundle of joy, most couples throw elaborate naming ceremonies, where their financial capability ostentatiously come to bare. Most times , during such ceremony, some couples close the entire street, with guests wining and dining, while others restrict the ceremony to the confines of their apartment.

Some men however, either apparently wanting to measure up to an imaginary standard, or out of pressure from their wives, go out of their ways to impress their guests. Such, sometimes end up borrowing.

But in the case of 22 year-old Sodiq Rafiu, an Ogun state born secondary school drop out, his aim for wanting to throw an elaborate naming ceremony upon the arrival of his first child was to prove to his parents as well as his in-laws that he was man enough to take care of his home. Reason? Both sides kicked against his union with his 20-year-old heart throb, Monsurat.

Unfortunately, Rafiu, who is a well known cobbler in Ikeja area of Lagos, does not have the financial muscle to meet up with the demand, as his proceeds from each day's business was put at N500. On other days, where business dwindled, he took home either a hundred or two hundred naira, an amount that was not enough to feed himself let alone an expectant mother.

It was at this point that he decided to seek for an alternative means of raising money for the upkeep of his family particularly the naming ceremony of their unborn baby. But unfortunately, he toed the wrong path by indulging in a one-man robbery squad in a bid to achieve his motive. Currently, he is in police custody at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Ikeja. He was arrested when he attempted to rob a female victim on August 12,2008, in Ebute-Metta area of Lagos.

In this interview with Crime Guard, he disclosed that he had so far realised the sum N720,000.00 since he started robbing since January this year and intended putting a stop to it when the bubble burst during a foiled robbery attempt.

Excepts:

" My name is Sodiq Rafiu. I am 22 years old . I am from Ijebu-Igbo in Ogun State. I was arrested because I was caught trying to rob a woman at Ebute-Metta area of Lagos. I live in Ikeja, but operate in Ebute-Metta because robbers do not usually operate in the area they are known. I also chose Ebute-Metta because there is business there.

I do not belong to any gang, rather I operate a one man squad. I went into robbery when my wife became pregnant. With each passing day, I looked forward to when she would put to bed and at the mere thought of it, my heart skipped because as a Muslim, you must name your baby on the seventh day. We call it sunah. As a cobbler, I knew I won't have money to celebrate the naming ceremony, because I was barely managing to cater for my pregnant wife.

And since my parents and hers did not approve of the marriage, I thought if I made enough money with which to do the naming ceremony, that would prove both parents wrong and it would at least, convince them that I can take care of myself, my wife and my baby. When my parents got to know about my relationship with Monsurat, they were against it, in fact they drove me out of the house saying they would not want any liability added to the one they already have.

Monsurat parents on their part said they would not want her running to them after marriage. They wanted her to get married to someone that is rich. In fact, there was even someone coming to seek her hand in marriage whom she refused. Because of her action, her parents also asked her to pack her things out of their house if she decided to come and live with me.

MODE OF OPERATION

I have never handled a gun before in my life. But what I did when the devil made the suggestion to me was to use rubber slippers to construct a gun. That was what I was using to scare my victims. My victims were usually females because of their fragile frame. Most of them at the sight of the fake gun, would scream and throw their bags at me.

I usually warned them not to scream or else I would shoot them. But unknown to them, it was a toy gun that had no single bullet in it. I usually operate at night , say between 8pm and 10.30 pm and thereafter return home in Ikeja. At the end of each operation, when I searched the bags, I would find money and handsets. Most times I sold the handsets to people on the pretence that they were given to me by my friends.

So far I have made the sum of N720,000.00 since I started in January this year. I used the money to buy the unborn baby things as well as to feed my wife. I was actually looking forward to letting go off robbery immediately my wife put to bed. I thought immediately I did the baby's naming ceremony, I would down tool.

But I was arrested just when I was contemplating on letting go. That was two weeks ago when as usual, I went to Ebute-Metta. I saw a woman who was just closing for the day. I waited and watched her close her jewelry shop. As she stepped out of the shop making a call on one of the two phones she was with, I pointed the fake gun by her side and asked her to give me the handsets and her bag, which she did. But upon realising that the object I pointed at her was a fake gun, she screamed. She was the first person that had dared to take time to look at the object . I guess it was God that wanted me to stop robbery. Immediately she screamed, I made an attempt to run away but passers-by who were alerted, caught me and gave me the beating of my life. They were about setting me ablaze when two policemen came and took me to the station.

I honestly regret my action. my worst regret is that I would not be there when my wife will put to bed. I will also not be there when the baby will be named. If given another opportunity I will remain the poor cobbler I've been, believing God to change my situation."

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