A 28yr-old alleged robber, Gbenga Kikiowo says he wanted to be as popular as Ishola Oyenusi popularly known as Dr. Ishola, who was a Nigerian notorious armed robber in the 1970s as well as Lawrence Nomanyagbon Anini the famous Nigerian bandit who terrorised Benin City in the 1980s.
Kikiowo stated this while being paraded alongside 14 other suspects for armed robbery and rape at Ondo State Police Command Headquarters, Igbatoro Road, Akure.
The state Commissioner of Police, Bolaji Salami said, “On 24th of May 2021, at about 2100hrs, information received from a reliable source said a gang of armed robbers were planning to carry out a robbery operation in Akure city. On receipt of the information, detectives swung into action and in the process, Gbenga Kikiowo and Aladeloye Tope aged 25yrs were arrested at Oke-Aro,Akure.“The suspects also confessed to have been involved in other robbery operations within and around Ondo State. Items recovered are, one pump action gun.”
Salami added that Kikiowo and other paraded suspects will be charged to court in no distance time.
Meanwhile, Kikiowo while speaking with Niger Delta Connect, said he had started robbery at the tender age of seven years at his home town at Igbara-Oke, in Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State and jailed for three times, while he blamed spiritual attacks from his family for his engagement in social vices.
While narrating how he was arrested, Kikiowo said, “I called my partner in crime and inform him I have a gun with me but it has no bullet so he told me to bring the gun to Akure from Ife which I did but I was arrested by the Scorpion Squad of the police when going to get the cartridge.”
According to him, “I started commiting crime since I was 7year-old. Well, I don’t have any genuine reason to what led me to crime because I was born into a rich family. I suddenly started stealing from my parent, my parent believes in traditional custom and that is what they practice, so the more they use spiritual solution to my criminal act, the more I steal, that leads me to Ghana from there I brought my squad to Nigeria and we were arrested during an operation in 2015 and reminded in the Olokuta prison.”
He said, “After I got released in 2019, my father died in 2015 so found no one to help me because they believe I’m a criminal so I see crime as a perfect way for me to survive.
“My father’s name is Kikiowo Ayodele. He married 6 wives and gave birth to 24 children, a native of Ibara Oke, a well known retired soldier, a political thug and also a farmer.
“He is well rich in his own capability not educated but believe in his rugged life and farming.
The 28 year-old Kikiowo said he has carried out numerous successful operations that he can’t count not remember.
“I once followed a man to A Division police station in Akure to bail a motorcycle, the motorcycle was released in a way that I was so surprised, the man told them his motorcycle was arrested so they asked him the documents of the motorcycle and he gave them only N1,500 and it was released to him even without the knowledge of those officers who collected the motorcycle.
“So, I also start using that techniques and it has been working for me. Once I discovered that those on morning duty have left, I will go there and point at a new and neat motorcycle, give them N1,500 and it will be given to me.
“I was arrested in 2011, the woman Judge who was presiding over my case likes me and took me to welfare so they can encourage me with the word of God but I escaped in 2012 and got involved in the same case over 2 motorcycles at A-Division. I was released on 2nd of February, 2019.”
According to him, “During the last time I was in prison, I joined the prisoners fellowship that preach the word of God from there I listened to their preaching and I got some assistance from them. I later had a dream, where I saw Daddy Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, praying for me, so, not long, I was discharged and got acquitted of the cases.
“After my return, I went to Redeem Christ church in Akure very local church and said I have a testimony and made the testimony from there, they took me to Redemption camp and having told them that I have spent four years in prison.
“I was surprised, seeing them, taking me to rehabilitation center. How does it collide? He questioned.
“I needed a help so that I can find a job that will be fetching me money but they were saying am into drugs and must rehabilitate me first. So, l decide to leave after six month because I don’t know where the programme will end and that was not what I need.
Kikiowo however noted that throughout his lifestyle in crime, he has never achieve any good thing but sorrow.
The gun the police arrested me with was my last hope. I had decide to leave all this local crime to advance in internationally. That was why I took my risk to look for gun.
“I wanted to become international arm robber like Mufu Olosha oko and Oyenusi because I wanted my name to reign. I believed that it was through crime that it could reign.
“If not for the gun, there was no way they can arrest me because l believe more on intelligence. Through intelligence you can operate and do all things and you will achieve it, that is why Yoruba people say “ogbon ju Agbara”, he said proverbially.
“After my father’s death, I heard about Ghana, getting there,. I found my colleagues and they took me to field, to high way robbery and after the operation, they found me competent and from there we start operating. High way robbery is the best we can do in Ghana we can’t do any other operation there, from there I invite them to Nigeria after convincing them that I have the key point of Nigeria, that we can operate successfully. In Nigeria we went for first, second operation and the third one I was arrested and I landed in prison.
“I urge government to tamper justice with mercy and help me. I love to be in Scorpion Squad and to work with them to backfire on people called criminals, I have decide to stop crime because I have no gain”, he said.