I bought fake N200,000 with N30,000 – Ex-convict

The Oyo State Police Command has arrested a robbery suspect, one Felix Ademola.

Ademola, an ex-convict, who left prison a few months ago, was paraded along with other robbery suspects at the state command headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan, Oyo State.

He was said to be robbing some residents of the state, together with his gang members, when he was arrested.

The suspect, who claimed to have conducted successful robbery operations in Lagos and Ogun states, said he was introduced to the production of fake money shortly after leaving the prison.

He said, “After I left prison, I began dealing in fake money. I bought the fakes from a man who printed them in the Abattoir area of Agege, Lagos State. For the N200,000 that I collected from him, I paid him N30,000. The fakes were in N1,000 denomination.

“The way I operate is that I will go out and buy items of about N200, pay with a fake N1,000. I will then be given a change of N800. I will do this to different traders until I spend all the fake money and gain about N170,000.”

Ademola said he led a gang of robbers to attack some residents in the Iyana Ipaja area of Lagos State, adding that he and his gang members shared N450,000 after the operation.

“We used a local gun and a pistol. After breaking in, we threatened the occupants with our guns and took their money and mobile phones. Because they cooperated, we did not kill anyone; we made N450,000 that night. In another operation three months after, we made about N60,000.

“After that, I had an accident and my hand was injured. For a long time, I did not rob. But when my health improved, I organised another robbery in Oyo. We were still operating when the police came, but I was the only one caught,” he added.

The Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Leye Oyebade, said the command had been successful in ridding the state of hoodlums, adding that those arrested would be prosecuted.