By Ikpo Igbinoba
Lagos
A suspected armed robber, Andrew Mbokwe, has confessed to illegally selling over 200 Ak-47 rifles in the course of his activities as a member of an armed robbery gang recently smashed by operatives of the Special Anti-robber Squad (SARS), of the Lagos State Police Command.
Commissioner of Police (CP) in charge of Lagos state, Mr. Kayode Aderanti, the stated this while parading the suspect before journalists at the command headquarters in Lagos.
He said the arrest of the suspect was outcome of his officers follow up on a case, adding that he was arrested in Lagos and upon interrogation confessed to having sold over 200 AK-47 rifles smuggled from Mali to several criminals and militants in Anambra, Rivers, Bayelsa, Abia, Enugu and Lagos states.
He said the suspect led SARS operatives back to Onitsha where one Christopher Edwin was arrested and three AK-47 riffles were recovered, just as he led SARS team to Rivers state, where Peter Onyeale and Okpara Reginald were arrested and four English pistols, two Barreta pistols and two Brownie pistols were also recovered.
CP Aderanti further stated that efforts were on to ensure the arrest of other members of the gang who are still at large, adding that detectives from the command have embarked on intensive combing of Bayelsa, Enugu, and Abia states to fish out the remaining gang members who went underground after Mbokwe’s the arrest.
However, speaking to journalists, the suspect claimed he sold less than 100 AK-47 rifles, claiming he got involved in gun running because of the difficult economy in country though he accepted knowing that it was an illegal trade
He said: “I started the business many years ago but I was working under someone. When he died, I decided to start my own. I have a shop in Onitsha main market. I just stayed in the shop and waited for customers. I didn’t sell anything else other than guns. I contacted and negotiated deals with my prospective customers.”
On his mode of operation, Mbokwe said that: “I used to buy the guns from a customer in Ibadan, Oyo state. I bought one for N300,000 and I sold them between N350,000 to N400,000. I was always very careful with the people I sold to.”
The suspect who confessed to have made a lot of money through the gun running business said he built a “befitting house” and has two good cars, just as his children attend good schools.
Another member of the gang, Christopher Edwin told journalists that: “My sin is that I assisted him in selling 14 AK-47 rifles. I knew the business was evil but I needed to survive. I would collect the guns from him for N350,000 and sell for N400,0000. I just started the business so I have not made much money.”