Lagos Police Command Reel Out Achievements, Parade Bolt Driver, and Other Criminals
••• Jeremiah “Bolt Driver” Narrates How Fuel Subsidy Removal Pushed Him Into Robbery
By People’s Voice Nigeria | News
A 29-year-old bolt driver, Adeniran Jeremiah, arrested for alleged armed robbery, has blamed the increase in fuel pump prices caused by Fuel Subsidy removal on his actions.
Jeremiah, who was arrested by the Lagos State Police Command for leading a three-man gang of robbers who specialised in robbing night crawlers, especially ladies, has blamed his woes on hardships caused by fuel subsidy removal.
The last operation was an attack on a lady, who was disposed of an undisclosed amount of money, phones, and other personal effects on her way to the popular Fela shrine.
However, luck ran against Jerimiah, a bolt driver, when he was recognised by the victim, who met him while shopping in a mini supermarket and raised an alarm.
Jeremiah, who was paraded today, Friday, August 4th, among other suspects by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Idowu Owohunwa, at Police Headquarters, Ikeja, explained how he got into the business of robbery.
While in an interview with the press at the parade, Jeremiah said, “I am an accounting graduate from a University in the Republic of Benin. I took to Bolt driving because of a lack of jobs, but I was able to take care of my bills until the recent removal of fuel subsidy and the rise in fuel pump prices made it unaffordable.
“After things became hard and unbearable for me, I decided to join another company called Rider. Thinking I would get relief from the rider company, yet the increase in fuel pump price continued to soar from N400 to almost N600, so I was working hand to mouth.
“It was then that I started thinking of different approaches to business to alliviate my suffering. It was while I was thinking about what to do to meet up with my daily target that the devil sold me the idea of robbing passengers. I contacted two of my friends and told them my idea, and they agreed with me that the idea was beautiful.
“We strategized on how we would carry out our operations. My gang members would pose as passengers in the vehicle, while I would pretend as if I didn’t know them. So when we arrived at a lonely place, I would pretend that I had a flat tyre, so I would alight from the car, pretending to be checking the faulty tyre, and then my guys, who were armed, would order me to go to the back of the vehicle. They would also do the same to our victim, but when the victim resisted, I would join hands with my guys to force the victim to submission. We started robbery operations one month ago, and we have made up to N2.1 million because we have so far shared N700,000 each.
We used to collect expensive phones and other personal effects.
“We don’t rob any person we see on the road; we size up our targets, and the most vulnerable are the ladies, who visit clubs at night. On the fateful day I was arrested, I narrowly escaped being lynched if not for the divine intervention of good Nigerians, who pleaded that I should be handed over to the police. I went shopping in a mini supermarket in Ikotun, where a female victim we robbed penultimate Friday recognized me and raised the alarm that I was among the people who robbed her.
I was not masked during the robbery operation, so she recognized me, and I couldn’t deny it, but God saved my life as I was immediately taken to the police station.
“My regret is that I was impatient, as I was in the fast lane to beat the economic hardship imposed on us by the fuel subsidy removal. My advice to the youths is that they should be patient to see if the government will give us palliative, but to be candid, taxi drivers, especially Uber, Bolt, and Riders, are not finding the fuel subsidy removal funny as we don’t make gains and we can’t take care of our daily needs.”
Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Benjamin Hundeyin, who represented Commissioner of Police, CP. Idowu Owohunwa, said the suspect was arrested on July 17, 2023, when a lady who booked a ride from Ikotun and the gang robbed her of some money and other belongings recognised him in a shopping mall and was arrested.
Hundeyin, however, warned passengers to be careful of the kind of vehicle they board at night, as robbers masquerade as drivers, adding, Once a driver stops at a lonely place at night and begins to tell stories of vehicle breakdown, know that danger may be lurking around and know whether it is possible to raise the alarm, but with the newly launched operation flush, our tactical units are flushing criminals out of the state”.
