Hike in petrol price pushed me into crime – Driver

A 29-year-old cab driver, Adeniran Jeremiah, arrested for alleged armed robbery has said that he went into robbery as a result of the increase in pump price of petrol.

The suspect, who was arrested by the Lagos State Police Command for leading a three-man gang to rob in a night club, blamed his woes on hardships caused by fuel subsidy removal.

The suspect had allegedly attacked a lady, and dispossessed her of an undisclosed amount of money, phones and other personal effects.

The victim was said to be on her way to the popular Fela shrine in Ikeja area of the state.

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Jeremiah, who was paraded yesterday among other suspects, by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police at Police headquarters Ikeja, claimed that he went into the business of robbery after the fuel subsidy removal.

“I am an accounting graduate from a university in Republic of Benin. I took to bolt driving because of lack of job, but I was able to take care of my bills until the recent removal of fuel subsidy and fuel pump price rose to unaffordable level.

“After things became hard and unbearable for me, I decided to join another company called Rider. Yet the increase in fuel pump price continued to soar and I was living from hand to mouth.”

He said he recruited some of his friends who usually posed as passengers and when he picked other passengers, he would drive them to a lonely place and pretend that he had a flat tyre.

“So, I would alight from the car, pretend to be checking the faulty tyre, and my guys, who are armed, would order me to go to the back of the vehicle.

“They would do same to our victim, but when the victims resist, I would join hands with my guys to deal with the victims to submission. We started robbery operations one month ago, and we have made up to N2.1million because we have so far shared N700,000 each,” he said.

He said they used to collect expensive phones and other personal effects.

Lagos State Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO), SP Benjamin Hundeyin, who represented the Commissioner of Police, Mr  Idowu Owohunwa, said the suspect was arrested July 17, 2023 after a lady booked a ride from Ikotun and the gang robbed her of some money and other belongings.