A suspected burglar arrested by the operatives of the Rapid Response Squad , RRS , of the Lagos State Police Command has said that he moved out of his parent ’ s home because of the “poverty -stricken condition of the environment. ”

arrested in Ikeja at about 4 . 40 a . m . , Saturday, after he had
successfully burgled two flats in Gbajobi Street, Balogun , Ikeja,
where he allegedly stole three laptops and five mobile phones.
The police said in a statement, Sunday, that Mr . David was
returning to his hotel ( name withheld ) at the Dopemu area where
he had been lodging for over a month when he was arrested .
“I was returning to the hotel when I was accosted on Awolowo
Way by RRS operatives and they stopped to check my bag , ” Mr .
David, who hails from Ekpoma, Edo State , said in his
confessional statement to the police .
“They found one Mac laptop ; two HP laptops , two iPhone 5; one
blackberry classic and two Nokia Touch phones .
“The house I broke into is a two storey building behind Jabita
Hotel in Balogun , Ikeja . I scaled its fence around 3 :00 a . m . and I
finished the operation around 4 :00 a . m . ”
Mr. David said he had broken into other houses in the Balogun
area in the past, and had stolen handsets and laptops .
He also said he pays N 240, 000 monthly to service his hotel bills.
“I am into ‘ yahoo yahoo’ but money has not been forthcoming
like before . I could barely make N 100 ,000 and N50 , 000 like before .
That is why I used break in and steal to augment my earning.
“I stay in the hotel with my girlfriend and a couple of friends come
around . Benjamin is the only buyer that I have. I have been an
embarrassment to my parents . ”
The police said investigations revealed that there had been
repeated cases of burglary around Gbajobi Street , Balogun , Ikeja .
Benjamin Odinaka , a phone repairer at the Computer Village in
Ikeja, who was also arrested by the police said he usually buys
phones and laptops from Mr. David at the latter ’ s hotel rooms .
“This is the third time that I would be buying laptops and phones
from him, ” said Mr . Odinaka , 18.
“I have bought more than seven laptops and several phones. The
last time I bought a Mac laptop , an HP laptop, an iphone 5 and a
blackberry phone from him. ”
A resident of Gbajobi Street whose belongings were stolen said
burglary had been on the rise in the area .
”Daily, we hear report of burglars in houses around us. We don ’t
know this guy and we have not met him before, ” said the resident
who identified himself simply as Daniel .
According to the Police Public Relations Officer, Dolapo Badmos ,
the Lagos State Police Command would continue to work hard to
ensure the successes recorded so far in the area of security is
consolidated and improved upon.