NGOZI UWUJARE

A welder in Asaba, 72-year-old Moses Iweh, may have to spend the rest of his life in jail, if convicted and sentenced to a prison term.

Moses is alleged by the Delta State Police Command of aiding the robbery activities of his son, Samuel Iweh, 26, and members of his gang in Asaba, Delta State.

The septuagenarian’s road to exposure began when he showed up at the Akwuofor Police Station to bail Samuel, who was arrested for an offence. In the course of discussing the bail, the police decided to execute a search warrant and visited his house. During the search, police detectives discovered stolen properties, which included three generating sets, plasma television set, refrigerators and AK 47 rifles. Moses Iweh was subsequently arrested and detained.

When Moses and his son were interrogated, they made interesting revelations that linked Samuel to the killing of a commercial motorcyclist, Idris Musa, who was abducted on Ibusa road, Asaba.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Muhammad Alhaji Mustapha told Sunday Sun that Moses was aware of the robbery activities of his son and always provided refuge for him. He also helped to sell some of the stolen items.

At the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department of the Delta State Police Command, Moses, in a confessional statement told the police: “I am aware that my son, Samuel is into robbery. I have six children, two girls and four boys. The two girls are married. I am aware that my son brings stolen items to my house. I do look for buyers for them in Onitsha. I am not aware that Moses and his gang murdered a bike man (commercial motorcyclist). I was aware they wanted to sell a bike. When police came to search my house and found stolen items, I told them it was my son that brought them.”

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Moses who hails from Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State further said: “My wife and two boys have left for the village. I am a welder by profession. I only know that my son, Samuel told me that he got a job as security man in Abuja in November, 2017.”

Sunday Sun learnt that Samuel and another member of his gang, Patrick Archibong, 24, had engaged Idris Musa, the motorcyclist, to take them somewhere. But on the way they diverted to a different destination, where they abducted and took him into the bush.

In a chat, Samuel gave a graphic account of how the victim was killed: “On January 25, 2018, Patrick Archibong and myself hired a bike man and took him into the bush. Archibong stabbed him with knife and then we used a nine-inch cement brick (block) to hit him on the head and he died. Archibong took the motocycle and sold it for N40,000 at Abraka.”

He said further: “I belong to three robbery gangs. In December, 2017, I went for a robbery operation in Amusement park, Asaba. We also robbed homes and took away generators, TVs and motorcycles which we shared among ourselves. Also in January, we robbed several people and took away their valuable items.”

Archibong corroborated what Samuel said he confirmed that Moses always assisted them in looking for buyers for the stolen items in Onitsha, Anambra State. However, what is not clear is the specific role played by 17-year-old Oliseh Enebeli, who was arrested along with the trio of Moses, Samuel and Archibong.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, DCP Samuel O. Ojo stated that the command had established the culpability of Samuel and Archibong in the abduction and murder of Musa. He also stated that some of the victims of the robbery incidents associated with the suspects had come to SCIID, Asaba, to identify the items stolen from them. He assured that the suspects would be charged to court and then remanded in prison custody, pending the determination of their case by the court.