I didn’t rob, I only escorted robbers to where they sold their stolen cars – ex-soldier

A former soldier, Abubakar Isiaka, who claimed to have served in Division 1 of the Nigerian Army, yesterday said he was never an active part of any robbery activity, though he usually escorted robbers to where they sold the vehicles they stole.    Isiaka told journalists he had gone on ‘absent without leave’ (AWOL) in 2015 […]

A former soldier, Abubakar Isiaka, who claimed to have served in Division 1 of the Nigerian Army, yesterday said he was never an active part of any robbery activity, though he usually escorted robbers to where they sold the vehicles they stole.  

 Isiaka told journalists he had gone on ‘absent without leave’ (AWOL) in 2015 when some of his colleagues were killed in Maiduguri, north-east, in a battle against Boko Haram insurgents.

 The former military man, who was paraded by the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Odude, along with some other crime suspects, said he began escorting robbers to sell stolen vehicles since he had gone AWOL.

 Isiaka said, “I was in Lagos when my commander said I was a gallant soldier and then took 24 of us to Maiduguri. Out of the 24, 14 died there, and that was when I decided to leave the work (military).

 “Since I absconded, I have been doing escort for robbers from Lagos to Port Harcourt and Lagos to Calabar. I’d escort them to wherever they wanted to sell the snatched cars. I’d only be inside the cars. I’ve never been involved in any of the robberies.”

Isiaka said he didn’t know anything about guns linked to the robbers. “My own is just to escort them to anywhere they wanted to go. I don’t do anything with the guns and I don’t know anything about the guns,” he maintained.