The suspects
Taofeek Lamidi, a suspected armed robber, has told the police in Oyo State how he attacked a female trader with a machete and robbed her of N23,500.
According to New Telegraph, Lamidi of Ile Epo, Isale Oyo in Oyo town, who was earlier convicted for rape, was released from prison on February 1. But about three months later, he became a guest of the police along with 18 others linked to various criminal offences.
The state Police Commissioner, Mr Leye Oyebade, told journalists that on April 12 Lamidi accosted a woman, Fasilat Asimiyu, in Oyo town and proposed to befriend her in order to advance his criminal intent through her.
The suspect, who spoke with newsmen, corroborated the commissioner’s statement when he said that he met the woman and proposed to her. According to him, the woman said she was living at Jamoosan Compound around Kanga area of Oyo town, but would not want him to visit her there.
The 41-year-old suspect said he was pushed to the idea of befriending Fasilat because his wife had died before he returned from prison and there was no one to take care of his children.
He said: “When I met this woman and proposed friendship to her, she said I could not come to her place at Kanga, that she would be going to the Omooba Market at Iwo town the following day.
"She said I could come and meet her there. On April 23, I went to Omooba Market on a friend’s motorcycle and met her sitting down while selling kerosene and black market petrol.
"I told her again that I wanted her to be my woman-friend and she agreed, but said that she needed money to boost her trade. I told her I didn’t have money either, but that if I could see any of the traders who had money, I could snatch it for the benefit of both of us.
"I told her, however, that I didn’t have any weapon to use, and she suggested a small machete. When I said that I didn’t have money to buy one, she offered me N1,000 to buy it.
“A few days later, I borrowed the motorcycle of a friend of mine and went to Omooba Market. I was there around 7:30am and this woman welcomed me and I sat close to her at her shop till about 10am, trying to identify any trader who would have sold and made money to be transported back to Oyo.”
Fasilat denied having any such agreement with Lamidi.
She said: “I only discussed with him that he was wasting his time staying so long when petrol was very scarce and that he could be making cool money in Oyo if he had stayed there plying his business.”
But the suspect insisted that the woman was the one who eventually got a female trader for him while another one joined and they set off on the motorcycle, popularly called “Okada”.
He added: “On our way, I stopped at a point and brought out the machete I had bought from the N1,000 this woman gave me. I told the trader Fasilat got for me that it was her money that I wanted to collect, but she started arguing with me. So, I attacked her with the machete on her left shoulder and left thigh.”