Operatives of the Inspector General of Police, Special Intelligence Response Team (SIRT) led by CSP Abba Kyari last Saturday apprehended the leader of the gang behind the recent bank robbery in Agbara Industrial Estate, Ogun State, which led to the death of a nursing mother and a mobile police officer.
Suspected militants numbering about 20 and claded in military camouflage last Thursday unleashed mayhem as they raided about three banks before escaping through the waterways to the creeks.
The suspect simply identified as Kelly Rotor was tracked down and arrested amid heavy shootout between detectives and three members of his gang at Sapale, Delta State. The shootout also led to the death of a police officer.
Kelly and others were stated to have also participated in the Festac, Ikorodu and Lekki bank robberies in the past.
Fotor who was nabbed alongside three other members of the gang made a startling revelation about the operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS) who went missing at Arepo area of Ikorodu in September.
As stated by him, his gang never intended to kill the nine officials of the DSS but for the carelessness of one of their colleagues who was drunk.
He explained that the operatives stormed their hideout wanting to rescue a woman who they abducted from Festac.
He added: “One of our boys who was heavily drunk met us while we were interrogating the suspects after we captured them and he opened fire on them.
"I was at their camp at Ikorodu when the DSS operatives were captured and they brought them before me and Ossy and they knelt down and we interrogated them, but that guy, he was Ossy’s man. He was very drunk, walked in and without asking questions opened fire on all of them and killed them. Neither myself nor Ossy ordered their killing, we never wanted to kill them,” he explained.
Rotor, an Ijaw native of Arugbo, Ondo State who sustained a bullet wound during the shootout disclosed during interrogation that he was the leader of the South South group of the gang.
He explained that the gang also had a Lagos leader who he identified as Ossy, adding that his gang was made up of 12 men, including himself, with bases in Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa and Ondo states.
Rotor also said his gang were formerly into sea piracy before teaming up with Ossy’s Lagos group for operations.
As stated by him, Ossy is the leader of the pipeline vandals at Arepo and Ikorodu areas.
Rotor also stated he and his men took part in the Lekki, Ikorodu, Festac and Agbra bank robberies, adding that they made N28 million from Agbara bank robbery.
“I and my group got N14 million share from the Agbara operation, while, Ossy and his group got N14 million. I left Lagos by waters that day after that operation with my men back to Igbokoda, Ondo State, where we shared the money and everybody got his share of the loot.
"It was Ossy’s men who usually pick out our targets. They were the ones who picked out all the targets, my job was to give support and my boat is very big and my boat boy is a professional and knows his way around the water very well,” he stated
When asked who was the woman in the group, he explained that there was no woman in the gang.
He, however, stated it was one of Ossy’s boys who normally dressed like a woman during operations.
Rotor and three other suspects arrested along with him have been transferred to Abuja, while SIRT operatives are still combing the area for other members of the gang.