The Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), led by DCP Abba Kyari, has cracked an of notorious 20 man robbery gang that has been terrorising the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and Niger State.
The gang leader, Gambo Isah, described as notorious by the police, told how his charms failed him and how the gang used to gain entrance to their victim’s homes using motor jerk to force open burglary proofs installed in their targets; offices, hotels and shopping malls.
Gambo as he is fondly called by men of the underworld said they used to carefully fixed the motor jerk in between the burglary proof just the way one fixes it underneath the vehicle and begins to turn the handle. He said by turning the handle of the jerk, the iron bars automatically begin to widen and they continued with turning until they get enough space to take them in. After destroying the burglary proof, they would then use other heavy weapons to destroy the doors and gained entrance into the house proper.
He also said that they concentrated solely on rich homes; offices, shops, and hotels because those were the only places they could get good money and expensive items.
He said they were only after cash, electronics, communications gadgets, iPad, laptops, jewelry, and other expensive items.
Gambo who was paraded alongside his gang members said he used to be a herder before he went into robbery and eventually formed his own criminal group.
He said he went into the robbery five years ago after acquiring one AK 47-riffle and other weapons to aid the robbery gang.
He also said he was patronizing a witch doctor who prepared charms for him because of the dangers involved in the business of armed robbery. He, however, lamented that the charm which he has been using for two years surprisingly failed him.
He said: “My name is Gambo Isah. I am 30- years -old from Katsina State. I am an armed robber. I have been operating as a robber and leader of my gang in Abuja for five years now. I cannot count the number of houses we have broken into because they are too many. They are uncountable.
I have about 20 men in my gang, but all of us don’t go for operations at the same time. It depends on how we perceive our target before we would decide if all of us would go.
And when we do, some would act as a spy, some as guards on patrol to alert us when the police or vigilante group are coming, others will destroy the burglary proof and security doors installed on the buildings we are operating on while others would go inside and carry whatever we want to carry when we finally break into the place.
To ensure we have a successful operation we have AK47 riffle, machetes, iron bars, knives, charms, and other dangerous weapons which we use to defend ourselves if the owner of the house proves stubborn.
“We specialized in robbing only rich homes, offices, hotels and shops because these were where to get expensive things like big phones, laptops, latest electronic gadgets etc. After stealing the items, we sell them off.
“I prepared a charm for my gang because you know this work is very dangerous and the native doctor that prepared it warned that we must wear the amulet whenever we were going for operations and we have been doing that and it has been working until the police arrested us. I don’t know what happened, because we have always succeeded in whatever operation that we embarked on while putting on the charms were usually successful. We also have other charms that we used for hunting and other things like that. And the native doctor who gave it to me knows that I am a criminal. I have been using it in the last two years and I had it on when the police arrested me I don’t know what happened.
“I use the money I made from robbery operations to take care of my family. I have bought land; built a house and bought motorcycles which I sold when I was broke. Yes, all the suspects you see here with me are my gang members”.
