Nabbed NURTW boss admits to working with 53 robbers, kidnappers in Lagos

Kazeem Bamidele (misspetite)

The suspect identified as, Kazeem Bamidele, 42, who is the Second Vice Chairman of the National Union of Road and Transport Workers’ (NURTW), Ajegunle Unit, has reportedly confessed to having bought over 4,256 mobile phones from robbers, pickpockets and 'one–chance' gangs operating in the state.The suspect equally confessed to the RRS Intelligence Team that he has over 52 boys in Lagos State under his control, who steal and sell “clean phones” to him.

Kazeem, who is popularly known as Elewure withing his social circles, was reportedly arrested when the RRS Intelligence Team had quizzed two stolen phones users in Kogi State in connection with abduction and robbery cases in Lagos State.
The RRS operatives had arrested Elewure at his shop in Boundary Market, Ajegunle, after he had been implicated as the seller of two Blackberry Z10 phones and a CAT phone which had been collected from victims of robbery and abduction incidences in the Lagos metropolis.
Giving his confession, Elewure said:
“I have over 52 boys who sell clean stolen mobile phones to me. On the average, I receive 38 ‘clean’ phones in a week. I have been in the business for more than two years. Boundary Market in Ajegunle, where I have office and shop, is where they sell the phones. I know they are stolen phones. Nearly every guy in Ajegunle is involved in this kind of runs. It is what they do to survive.
“I was pushed into the business by family pressure. I have so many dependants, including two wives and seven children. My mother gave birth to 13 children for my father. Though both of them are no more, only three of us are left and I am the breadwinner of the family.
“I started out in life as ‘elubo’, pepper and maize grinder. I know that most of these phones were gotten from pick pocketing, one chance and robbery. My second wife has mounted so much pressure on me to quit the business long ago but the financial pressure was much."
Elewure went on to add:
“I buy Infinix Hot 2 at N10,000 and sell N12,000; Blackberry Z30 at N20,000 and sell at N22,000; buy Infinix Hot Note at N15,000 and sell at N17,000 and Samsung Galaxy X3 at N11,000 and sell at N14,000. I don’t buy iPhone because of its locking system.”
Lagos Metro reports that, at the time of his arrest, five stolen mobile phones were found on him.
Elewure is now reportedly helping the police to pick up his boys from their hideouts, bus stops and routes of operations, while two commercial buses “danfo” used for robbery and one chance operations are presently at RRS Headquarters in Alausa.