I Sell Stolen Phones As London Used – Man Confesses

According to the police, the suspect, who
specialised in buying stolen phones from
armed robbers and 'one chance' gangs,
usually redesigned the phones as 'London
used' (fairly-used phones) which he sold to
unsuspecting members of the public.



The 30-year-old, who lived on Araloya
Street, Lagos, was reportedly tracked and
arrested with an Iphone 7, belonging to
one Kolade Johnson, a banker working on
Lagos Island.



"The banker had on August 23 boarded a
'one chance' bus around 5.45am on his
way to work.



The robbers dispossessed him of a laptop
and two phones, one of which was traced
to Adebayo.


He was trying to sell it to a
customer on Lagos Island when he was
nabbed.



"Also found in his bag were six Iphones,
four other smart phones and three MTN SIM
packs, which he said he collected from the
robbers," the RRS said in a statement on
Sunday.



The suspect, who was said to be an ex-
member of the NURTW in Ajah, reportedly
told the police that he was formerly selling
clothes before he dabbled into sales of
fairly-used phone.


The suspect allegedly said he regularly
bought stolen phones from three people,
saying he was aware they were robbers.



He said, "I started selling fairly-used phones
about a year ago.



When customers patronised my clothes
shop, they talked about buying fairly-used
phones.


I started assisting them to collect
phones and sell.



This was about three years ago.


Uche, Alubi and Pinheiro were three major
guys I collected phones from.


"If I said I didn't know that the phones
were stolen, I would be lying.


I knew some of the phones were forcefully
collected from people.



I buy iPhone 7 with
iCloud for N45,000 and sell at N55,000.


Those without iCloud, I buy for N150,000
and sell at N180,000.



I buy Samsung
phones for N22,000 and sell at N27,000. I
work on the phones and redesign them as
London-used phones."



The police said Uche, Alubi and Pinhero had
fled the areas they lived since the arrest of
Adebayo.


Efforts are on to arrest the fleeing suspects.