Aspiring footballer turns robber after losing out of Under-17 team

Twenty-nine-year-old James Udobong, an Akwa Ibom State indigene, had constantly breast fed a fantasy all his whole life – turning into a footballer for Nigeria's national group.

Subsequent to preparing as hard as he could in 2003, Udobong discovered his approach to Abuja, to take part in an Under-17 trial. His expectations were high, his vitality hot, yet he was managed a spirit pounding blow.

Udobong was not picked. Thus finished his expectation of regularly turning into a football star.

To survive, he was repairing telephones at Wuse Market however soon, he could no longer pay his shop lease, as indicated by cases.

Hence began Udobong's excursion to the criminal universe of telephone theft.

He was one of numerous other theft, hijacking and extortion presumes gathered together by the Abba Kyari-drove Inspector-General of Police Response Team, as of late in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, for threatening the inhabitants.

Udobong said after he could no longer bring home the bacon, one of his companions recommended that he tailed him to Transcorp Hilton and other five star lodgings in Abuja, where they could target clients who were tipsy with a specific end goal to take their telephones.

He stated, "My companion additionally showed me how to place orders online for costly cell phones. We tell the merchants that we were purchasing the telephones in the interest of a conspicuous lawmaker held up in any of the five-star inns we utilize.

"At the point when the merchant makes conveyance, we take him to a story of the lodging and take the telephones inside an entryway under the appearance of conveying it to the government official however the merchant wouldn't realize that entryway leads through a staircase ground floor.

"More often than not, subsequent to taking the telephone, I hop inside a holding up taxi in the ground floor and leave the inn. Yet, in my last operation, I conveyed the merchant to Transcorp and requesting that he hold up outside the room keeping in mind the end goal to demonstrate the telephone to my central. I got into a lift and went to the ground floor. In any case, I was captured by holding up security men at the inn."

Udobong was given over to the police who recuperated every one of the telephones he stole from the merchant – iPhone, Infinix Note, two tablets and two Samsung Galaxy telephones.

Different suspects as of late captured by the IRT are Benedict Otanwa, Sunday Okopi, Monday Ijiga, Christian Akanaga, James Udobong, Abba Ayuba and Aliyu Abdulganiu. They were altogether captured in partitioned operations in Abuja, Niger, Nassarawa and Kogi states.

One of the suspects, Akanaga, is said to be a broker captured for professedly duping another investor situated in Akwa Ibom State of N140m in a forex bargain.

The police said Akanaga purportedly cheated the investor under the appearance of offering what might as well be called the said whole to him yet he in the end redirected the cash for his very own utilization. He was blamed for cheating numerous different suspects in a similar manner.

Otanwa, Okopi and Ijiga, all locals of Benue State were captured by the IRT in Nasarawa State for doing a few thefts.

A source expressed that the pack ransacked a prevalent drug store and grabbed a Toyota Sienna in Yanyan, Nasarawa State.

Otanwa, 26, an occupant of New Yanyan range of Nasarawa, said he was a designer with an organization that got contract in Abuja until he was sacked.

As indicated by him, the organization he worked with lost every one of its agreements when the organization of President Goodluck Jonathan came to control.

He stated, "I was hitched yet I couldn't accommodate my family until I met somebody called IG. I informed him regarding my issues and he gave me some cash. Before long, he acquainted me with three different companions of his – Oteh, Sunday and Monday Ijiga. He demonstrated to us a drug store and said we ought to loot it. On our way, we saw a Toyota Sienna. IG and Oteh had firearms on them and they grabbed it from its proprietor. After we sold off the auto, I was given N5,000."

Ijiga, 27, in his announcement said he joined the group in May 2016 when he hunt down a vocation futile. As indicated by him, the last operation was his third with the group.

Then, a resigned warrior turned auto merchant, 39-year-old Salisu Bello, was likewise captured for taking autos.

He purportedly improved himself by occupying utilized autos he was contracted to convey to their proprietors and auctioning them off.

Bello had purportedly been captured in the past for a similar wrongdoing.

In any case, in April 2016, he purportedly fled with an auto esteemed at N5m having a place with a Yoruba ruler. After the case was accounted for, he was trailed to a remote town in Niger State where he was captured.

He said in his announcement, "I was enrolled into the Nigeria Army on January 15, 1996 and resigned in November 2012 after I supported a damage in Operation Lafia Dole in Borno State.

"I ventured on a mine in the backwoods and from that point, I maintained genuine wounds that made me quit the armed force. After my retirement, I turned into an auto merchant and I more often than not purchase autos from Benin Republic available to be purchased in Nigeria.

Be that as it may, a year ago, I kept running into inconvenience. Somebody gave me cash to get him an auto and when I got to Benin Republic, I was sedated and the cash was stolen. I called the police in that nation to help me to follow the individuals who stole my cash yet they proved unable.

"I sold the ruler's auto for N3m with a specific end goal to utilize some portion of the cash to settle my obligation."

Likewise paraded was Abdulganiu, a Kogi State indigene captured for participating in the seize of a 70-year–old man. The casualty was just discharged after his family paid a N2m emancipate.

The 26-year-old father of four prevented being a part from securing the pack who abducted the septuagenarian, yet said he was enrolled by the posse pioneer, one Don Jee, to arrange recover with the casualty's family.

He stated, "I am not a ruffian, I am an auxiliary teacher. The pioneer of the seize posse, Don Jee, moved toward me and requesting that I help him talk with the man's child since he couldn't communicate in English.

"After he was hijacked and the payoff was paid, I was given N150,000 from the payment."

Every one of the suspects are as of now being confined at the Force Headquarters, Abuja. The police said they would be charged to court when examination was finished.