An armed robber has confessed and pleaded for mercy after he was nabbed alongside four others trying to rob a sales girl of N500,000.
The robbery suspect identified as Chukwuma Okoro, has confessed before security operatives that he went into robbery to enable him pay N300,000 bride price demanded by his wife’s family.
He made the confession while being paraded on Wednesday by the Ondo State Police Command alongside three others identified as Ezenwa Raphael, Chukwudi Oruma and Thomas Onofuapo.
Speaking while parading the suspects, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Femi Joseph said Okoro and other suspects were among the armed robbers who had been terrorising the state in the recent time.
Specifically, he said Okoro allegedly attacked a girl who was carrying a sum of N500,000 to the bank and as he was trying to forcefully collect the money from the girl, he was arrested by passers-by.
The PPRO added that a pistol and five live carriages were found on Okoro.
Joseph said,
“Okoro attacked a sales girl who was going to the bank to deposit a sum N500,000. As he was struggling to collect the money from her, the girl raised the alarm that attracted the passer-by who arrested him.”
Okoro, who said he was a vegetable seller in Akure, explained that his efforts to satisfy his wife pushed him to robbery. He said he wanted to pay a N300,000 bride price demanded by his wife’s family.
He said,
“It is my wife that pushed me into it, I have never stolen in my life, this is the first time, she ran away from my house since three weeks ago and I have been begging her to come back, so I started looking for money to pay her bride price before she comes back.”
The police spokesman said the suspect would soon be charged to court, adding that the command would not relent in the fight against crimes and criminality in the state.