Three traffic robbers were nabbed at Ikeja City Mall by police operatives attached to Rapid Response Squad (RRS) in Lagos State on Thursday, February 17, 2022, while four others were also apprehended at Mile 2 park with the assistance of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).
Thenewsbearer learnt that the NURTW members got the four suspects identified as Segun Peters (22), Kabiru Odeh (25), Nurudeen Suraj (22) and Dennis Ikuvbogie (24) while they were operating.
The suspects were thereafter handed over to the police team for investigation and prosecution.
One of the suspects, Suraj was reportedly arrested a week ago and detained at Agboju Police Station.
He had confessed that he was released from prison two months ago.
The remaining three other suspects – Anifowoshe Kolawole (20), Patrick Ameke (21) and John Britto (27) – were picked around Ikeja City Mall after a petition by the management of Ikeja City Mall on reported incidences of traffic robberies in the area.
The complaints made the Commander, Rapid Response Squad (RRS), CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi, to deploy plain-clothed policemen to the area to monitor and arrest the suspects.
They were said to have been placed under close monitoring before they were selectively picked up.
It was further learnt that the mode of operation of the traffic robbers was to, most times, pretend to be beggars and nose mask vendors, using the ploy to rob motorists and pedestrians visiting the complex.
One of the suspects, Kolawole, who had been warned on many occasions by policemen reportedly started pleading for leniency when arrested.
Commending civilians who provided the intelligence to the police as well as those who assisted them in arresting the suspects, the state Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alabi stressed the importance of community policing and its safety when there is the cooperation of the people with the police.