We derived joy in torturing our male victims - female robbery suspects

Nneka Orji, the head of a female robbery gang arrested by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad in Lagos has confessed that she and her girls derived joy from torturing their male victims because they were once victims of robbery attacks perpetrated by guys.

"I am not an armed robber because we did not operate with gun. Ours was more of brain works. We obtained by false pretence, otherwise called 419," 27-year-old Nneka said.

Speaking on their mode of operation, the lady who hails from Otolo Nnewi, Anambra State, said: “I had been a victim of the crime for which we were arrested. I was tortured and nearly raped. But for the leg kick I gave to one of the criminals who attempted to rape me after the gang had duped me of my life savings, I would have been raped.

“If I mention the amount, you would not believe me. I have fallen victim to many wicked men. Some who said they wanted to marry me later became gold diggers and abandoned me after milking me dry. These wicked acts made me to hate men, especially the criminally-minded ones.

“However, God gave me a reliable fiancé. His name is Mr. Okey Holland from Nnewi. He travelled to Holand on a business trip and we hope to do our traditional marriage and a society wedding the moment he returns from Holland.

“For now, I reside with my uncle, one Mr. Ikechukwu Ndu of No. 14, College Road, Ogba. He knows that I am into 419 business.

“I was arrested for armed robbery when we did not rob with arms. In fact, what we did was not armed robbery. It was a common 419 deal. Why it looked like armed robbery was that our victim, a lady, jumped out of our operational vehicle, shouting ole! ole!! (robber! robber!!), which attracted an irate mob and the police at Alausa (Lagos). We were arrested and handed over to SARS.

“The officer in charge of SARS, SP Abba Kyari, even instructed the investigating police officer, Coporal Ediga Augustine, not to put us in confirmed armed robbery cell until he had finished the investigation. Our business is to defraud people. We are not armed robbers.”

Asked what role he played in the gang, she said: “My role is very clear. I played the role of a catcher. I speak the word to the victim and if it catches him or her, others will start working on him or her.

“For instance, if a victim enters our cab, my role is to open up a discussion by speaking the word, like telling him or her that we had dollars in the vehicle or that a foreigner or an Alhaji wanted his dog to sleep with me but I ended stealing plenty of dollars from him before I escaped. I would tell the passenger that the problem was how to change it or where to take it to.

“If the passenger is foolish and expressed interest, we would start working on him or her. But if he or she did not show interest, we would drop him. I was also a victim before I joined them.”

Asked how they were able to torture men without guns, she said they used to push stubborn men out of their vehicle while in motion, making them to sustain serious injuries.

“At times, we would pull their manhood with our hands until they felt serious pains and made forced promise to the gang not to involve the police,” she added.

According to an insider in SARS office in Lagos, Nneka and her four other accomplices will be charged to court soon for robbery. But Nneka is begging them not to do so, she's insisting that they are "common criminals" and should be treated and tried as such.

She also stated “I started this business in November 2011 after fallen victim. We realised N15,000 from the first job and I was given N1,500. The second job fetched us N30,000 and I was given N3,000. The third job fetched us N24,000 and I was given N2,400. It was the fourth job that put us in SARS’ net. We did not get a kobo from it because it failed.”