‘We got our victim on social media’
Two suspected robbers, who allegedly lured a computer dealer to a desolate location and dispossessed him of his three laptops valued at N1.5 million at gun point, have been arrested by operatives of the Lagos Rapid Response Squad. The suspects, Victor Remi, 27, a forex trader and Ekeh Maxwell, 23, a musician, were arrested on […]
‘We got our victim on social media’
Two suspected robbers, who allegedly lured a computer dealer to a desolate location and dispossessed him of his three laptops valued at N1.5 million at gun point, have been arrested by operatives of the Lagos Rapid Response Squad.
The suspects, Victor Remi, 27, a forex trader and Ekeh Maxwell, 23, a musician, were arrested on Monday.
The suspects, both residents of 18, Alexandra Street, Abule Egba, Lagos, disclosed that they got the details of their victim through his twitter handle.
They added that they opened up conversation with him immediately and placed an order for three Apple laptops (MacBook Pro, 2018 edition).
According to Remi, a South Africa returnee, “I told the dealer I was the Managing Director of a new company on Acme Road, Ikeja. I also told him that my daughter recommended him and that his laptops are legit. I ordered one for myself and another for my secretary.
“It took us a week to initiate, perfect our plan and execute it. My colleague, Maxwell, borrowed his brother’s Camry FKJ 833 EZ for the deed. We bought a toy gun and painted it. I guided the dealer to Acme Crescent because we knew the location was a desolate area.
“While Maxwell drove, I sent a Whatsapp message to the dealer that he should bring the consignment to my office. I told him that my driver would pick him up at Acme Crescent.
“We met him there. He entered the vehicle while the driver picked me up a few meters from where he entered. He was sitting in front with the laptops. I placed the gun on his neck and ordered him to surrender them. We wanted to take his phone, too, but he pleaded not to be stripped of everything. We told him to alight from the car and escape.”
Our correspondent gathered from a police source that Remi told his accomplice that the three Apple laptops were two instead of three. The source added that Remi also lied to his partner that he sold each of the two laptops for N250,000 each instead of the N500,000 that he allegedly sold them. “He gave Maxwell N250,000”, he added.
The computer dealer, who did not want his name in print, said, “One Uche ordered for two Apple laptops. We communicated on WhatsApp. I never had an inkling that they were robbers. They used a gun and knife to dispossess me of the laptops. The three laptops are worth N1.5 million.”
The three laptops were understood to have been recovered from those who bought them.