As Christmas approaches, suspected criminals have upped their game and have become desperate to get money for the yuletide. But the police are not relenting in checking them.
Many armed robbery suspects have succeeded in some operations at various locations in Lagos while others who were unlucky are now biting their fingers in regret in police cells and prisons.
The Lagos State Police Command has also strategised to keep these men of the underworld in check and has succeeded in caging many of them.
To prove the readiness of the police in Lagos, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Imohimi Edgal, stressed that his men were prepared, boasting that violent crimes had been reduced to its barest minimum in the state.
To buttress his point, Edgal recalled some instances where he said the police had succeeded in arresting suspected armed robbers.
He said, “The case you are about to hear now is a clear testimony that all police formations in Lagos State are fully prepared to tackle armed robbers head-on and in a jiffy while their operation lasts.
“The command intercepted a truck laden with Tramadol capsules, our operatives at the Morogbo end arrested a gang of four armed robbery suspects.”
The names of the suspects, according to him, are Kudaisi Oni, Buraimoh Saka, Popoola Taiwo and Dauda Sodiq.
“These dare- devil men, who had been terrorising Badagry and its environs had been under our radar until luck ran out on them when they attacked one Odom Cletus ‘M’ at Magbon junction, Badagry, Lagos. The robbers snatched the sum of two hundred and fifty thousand (N250, 000.00) from the said Odom Cletus at gun point. However, while the operation was ongoing, a good Nigerian watching from a safe distance saw how a helpless citizen was being attacked, placed a call to the DPO in charge of Morogbo Division, who quickly rushed to the scene with his men. They engaged the robbers, forcing them to retreat into nearby swamp, where they were arrested,” he said.
Edgal also said that the police recovered one locally made double barrel pistol loaded with two cartridges, one Bajaj motorcycle with registration number MUS 330 OJ, which the suspects used during their operations and the stolen two hundred and fifty thousand Naira.
“Some dare devil armed robbers were sighted robbing passers-by of their valuables along Idimu Road, Idimu, Lagos. The robbers were using unregistered motorcycle. On receipt of the information, operatives from Idimu Police Station and that of FSARS, Ikeja jointly mobilised to the scene. On sighting the operatives, the robbers ran in different directions. However, two of them were apprehended and were immediately searched. In the process, a cut-to- size locally made gun with four cartridges were recovered. Also recovered was their operational motorcycle. The arrested suspects gave their names as Kundus Akinbowale, and Akinsanya Tunde. They confessed to be specialists in robbing motorists in traffic along Idimu Road, Ikotun. Investigation is ongoing with a view to arresting other members of the gang for prosecution,” he added.
The Lagos police boss also recalled an incident where policemen arrested three men who were armed with a gun, allegedly for robbery along Victoria lsland – Epe expressway.
“While on stop and search duty at Ikate pin- down point, operatives of the command from Ilasan Division accosted three young men approaching from Aboki Estate. They were subjected to routine search during which two locally made shotguns with five cartridges were found on them,” he said.
The police boss gave their names as Igbokoyi Yinka, Obadimeji Taiwo and Adams Wasiu.
The commissioner of police said policemen also arrested 10 suspected armed robbers terrorising Ikoyi and its environs.
Edgal said, “At Falomo, Ikoyi under bridge, a police patrol team on pin-down point received a distress call that a Toyota Camry car with registration number BDG 306 FD with four occupants that robbed a night club in Ikoyi area at gun point and shot sporadically to scare people before escaping with their loot such as mobile phones, gold jewelry and cash. The said vehicle with four occupants was intercepted by the eagle-eyed policemen on pin down duty at Falomo under bridge. The gang hurriedly alighted from their vehicle with a black bag and took to their heels. But the team gave them a hot pursuit and arrested one Joseph Stephen.
“Upon searching the vehicle, one revolver pistol and one black toy gun were recovered from the back seat arm- rest of the car, where it was concealed. The said Stephen confessed that four of them went out to rob at Lekki and a police patrol team chased them inward Ikate- Jakande area of Lekki and in the process the gang’s operational vehicle, an unregistered Toyota Camry, red in colour, entered a ditch and the front side badly damaged due to over-speeding. As a result, the notorious gang went ahead to snatch another Toyota Camry with the above mentioned registration number with the intention of selling it and using the proceed to repair their damaged operational
vehicle.
