•As Festac DPO arrests suspected armed robbery syndicate member
Operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command on Tuesday, March 30, 2021, apprehended six suspected traffic robbery kingpins at different locations in Lagos State.
Making this known in a statement, the police spokesman in the state, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said that the operational squad, led by the RRS Commander, CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi, arrested the suspects around Iddo Bridge, Ijora Olopa, Ojota and Ketu.
The PPRO said that the the RRS commander also disclosed the recovery of a toy gun from one of the suspected traffic robbers, Toheeb Isiaka, on top of Iddo Bridge, while briefing the state police boss, Hakeem Odumosu, on the operation.
Five other traffic robbery suspects, whose names were given as Tunde Raman (25), Olamilekan Adeyemi (20), Segun Sulaiman (33), Idris Mohammed (25) and Uche Nwankwo (25), were reportedly apprehended at Ijora Olopa, Ketu and Ojota.
In his confession during interrogation, Isiaka disclosed that he had snatched more than 20 phones from motorists in the last two weeks at different spots in the area.
He also said that once he pulled out his toy gun, commuters would become jilttery and immediately surrender their valuables like phones, wallets and jewelries willingly, without any resistance or confrontation.
In the same vein, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Festac Division, CSP Femi Iwasokun, bursted a robbery syndicate at Agboju Roundabout, Festac, and recovered a locally-made pistol from them, barely 24 hours after his assumption of office.
Adejobi stated further that the anti-crime squad despatched by the DPO, while on patrol, intercepted some suspected armed robbers on a motorcycle at Agboju Roundabout, on Badagry Highway, at about 9am, on Tuesday.
He said: “One Adewale Sadiq, 37, of no fixed addresss, was arrested with a locally-made pistol, while others fled.”
The PPRO said that the Commissioner of Police had ordered that the suspects be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba, for proper investigation.
Odumosu also directed his men to ensure that the fleeing members of armed robbery syndicate and traffic robbers are tracked and arrested.
The police boss reiterated his zero tolerance for crimes and social vices in the state, and urged criminals and hoodlums to steer clear of the state, warning that the command would leave no stone unturned to suppress them and their antics.