Otedeola Bridge: RRS Nabs Three Suspected Robbers With Master Key

Three suspected robbers who have been terrorising passers-by broken down vehicle owners, passengers and other road users around Otedola Bridge in Lagos have been arrested by the operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of Lagos State Police Command just as they recovered two master keys from them. 

The suspects, Chima Joseph (24), Hassan Adamu (34) and Ibietan Oluwaseyi (41), were arrested after dragging their victim from the Expressway into the bush and dispossessed him of all his belongings.

The victim, Idi Musa, who was in Lagos for the first time, said he was on his way to Apapa from Borno State to meet his brother.

According to him, "I alighted at Ojodu-Berger to walk from the Bus Stop to Ojota. As I walked down the road towards the bridge (Otedola), I heard somebody called out from the bush, Aboki! Aboki!!, zo mana (come). I ignored the call because I didn’t know them. Before now, I have been warned to mind my business when in Lagos….

"As I continued my journey, two of them (pointing to Chima and Adamu) ran after me, dragged me with my trousers into the bush; beat me several times before searching my pockets and luggage. They took N3, 000 from me…. After collecting my money, one of them (pointing to Hassan Adamu) threatened me that he was a Lagos State Government official and that if I ever come back there, they would arrest me and send me back to my village…. They then released me to go. As I descended the slope towards the bridge, I spotted an RRS vehicle. I went to the officers, narrated all that happened to me. "

"At their office, three teams of officers were drafted to comb the Bush properly. It was in the process that they arrested the other two that dragged me from the road into the bush before collecting my money."

It was gathered that RRS's surveillance team have been on the lookout for the robbers terrorising people during traffic congestion in that area. It was further learnt that more than four people have been arrested for robbing road users while two additional cases of robbery linked to the suspects have been reported to RRS's operatives.

One of the suspects, Chima Joseph, from whom the master keys were recovered, stated that he found the keys on the ground, adding that he was looking for a place to put it for people to see. It was revealed that the key, when tested opened the doors of 2 Toyota Camry, Toyota Corolla and one Honda (End of Discussion).

He confessed that they dragged Musa into the bush, ransacked him and collected his N3,000. "My friends and I sleep in the shed in the bush beside the expressway. What we do is to assist people on the highway," he added.

Confirming the arrest, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Police, SP Dolapo Badmos, stated that the police are keeping an eagle eye on all the black spots in the state particularly as the year draws to an end.‎

RRS Nabs Two Robbers

The operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested a two man robbery gang specializing in defrauding unsuspecting members of public around Cele Bus-stop, along Oshodi-Apapa Expressway of Lagos.

The suspects, Emmanuel Anyanwu, 39, an ex-convict and Kennedy Ujagbor, 42, a drug addict, were jointly arrested by the RRS officers at Cele Bus-stop, when a victim from whom they had snatched his bag from the previous day when he failed to fall into their trap, identified them at a drinking joint.

Their victim, Sammy Bolaji, was on his way to Ogun State when he was stopped by the duo of Anyanwu and Ujagbor for his assistance. “They asked me if I knew a particular address and I told them that I was a stranger in that area…. As I made to leave them, one of them grabbed my bag from behind and took to his heels. The second one followed suit. I ran after them but I guess they knew the route more than I do, so they escaped before people around could even come to term with what was going on…. Sadly for me, in that bag were a sum of N7,500:00, two mobile phones, cloths and other personal effects. I had to discontinue the journey because all I had on me were gone.

“The following day, my mum chose to drive me through this same spot where my bag was snatched. Luckily for me, I saw these same guys sipping alcohol early in the morning very close to the spot. I alighted not telling my mom what I had seen, at least to confirm first…. As things would work my way, I saw RRS’s patrol vehicle passing by and I waved them down, narrated all that happened yesterday and they followed me to where these guy were sitting.

“They were shocked to see me with the police. They interrogated them and arrested them after confirming the incident…. They promised the officers that they would retrieve my bag for me in Ketu, where they sold it to,” he stated.

Emmanuel Anyanwu, in his confession said, “We are swindlers. We are always on the street looking for people to defraud…. Yesterday, we met this guy. Our plan was to play him and it didn’t seem to work out, so we snatched his bag and ran away. His bag is in Ketu.”

The suspect revealed their Modus Operandi, “Normally, what we do is tell our victim that we are foreigners with a huge consignment of mobile phones and stationery….  We would now pretend that we were in search of marketers with enough money to buy the goods…. In the process, we persuade our victims to show interest in buying the goods by dangling before them an irresistible offer. If they show interest, we tell them to demonstrate their seriousness with a commitment by depositing their phones, money or jewelry. That is how we con them.”

Confirming the development, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Superintendent of Police, SP Dolapo Badmus stated that the police would leave no stone unturned towards reducing crime in the state. The suspects have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation.

How Petrol Truck Caught Fire At Abattoir

Around 1 am today, a commercial bus was turning at the front of Abattoir in Agege, Lagos, when a full load of petrol truck come with speed inward Abule-Egba. The truck lost control, fell and burst into fire.

The RRS personnel attached to the area were able to rescue one person trapped in the fire. It took the intervention of the Lagos State Fire Service to put off the fire around 4 am. The truck, goods (like tomatoes, etc) belonging to some market women, and Police cap belonging to one of the RRS personnel who rescued a person trapped in the fire got burnt.

It is important to ensure that truck drivers obey traffic rules and regulations; drive carefully and not recklessly. If not for the quick intervention of the police and fire-fighters, life would have been lost and more properties would have been destroyed.

In fact, the situation would have been worse if it happened during the day when traffic around the area is high. But, no life was lost.

Arrested Pick-pocket Steals At RRS’ Office

A Twenty-Eight year old suspect who was arrested by the operatives of Rapid Response Squad (RRS) for pick-pocketing proved his mettle by stealing N1,200 again inside the Police's office during an interrogation.

The suspect, Deji Ayoola, was hitherto, nabbed by the patrol team of the squad at Ojodu-Berger over the weekend for pick-pocketing a commuter trying to board a commercial vehicle to the Redemption Camp.

He had successfully perpetrated the crime before the RRS operatives, who sighted him when he was removing the wallet pursued, arrested him.

Speaking with the victim over the incident, Ayodele Akerele said, "I collected a sum of N14,500 from Automated Teller Machine (ATM) from a bank at Berger on my way to the Redemption Camp.  However, I had no inkling that my money had been removed. It was about the time to pay fare that I discovered my wallet had disappeared.... In fact, I had even forgotten about the money until the following day, when an operative from RRS called me that my wallet was recovered from a suspect when they nabbed him. The Policeman added that they found my mobile number inside my wallet which made it easy for them to call me.I was shocked to hear this because I had already lost hope of recovering the money."

The suspect who lived at Mowe area of Ogun State, confessed to the crime and blamed devil for it.

"I truly removed the wallet from his (victim) pocket before I was arrested by the policemen. They bundled me to their office immediately. It was the devil who pushed me into the act. I pray to God to forgive me", he pleaded.

During his interrogation at the RRS's headquarters in Alausa, the suspect stylishly stepping on a N1,200 which fell from a police woman's pocket while she was removing her cell phone from the pocket. When the money dropped on the floor, rather than to draw her attention to the money, he pocketed it. Unknown to him, another suspect had seen him when he was hiding the money, and immediately alerted the officer that the money she was looking for was with the suspect.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Superintendent of Police, SP Dolapo Badmus, who confirmed the incident, said that the good people of Lagos State are sleeping with their eyes closed now as the crime rate in the state has drastically reduced. The suspect has been transferred to the State Environmental Task fforce on Environment for prosecution.

RRS Nabs Inter-State 'Okada" Thief In Lagos

Operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of Lagos State Police Command, over the weekend, arrested one Jamiu Bello, 26, who specializes in motorcycle theft, popularly known as ‘okada’ in virtually all the states in the South West. The suspect was arrested by the RRS operatives while trying to steal a motorcycle with the registration number, KTU 388 QG, belonging to Israel Ikyav, a commercial rider at Ijora Olopa, Lagos.

According to the victim, "I parked my okada beside a canteen around Ijora. As I entered the canteen to eat, I noticed people outside were chasing one guy…. One of my colleagues rushed inside the canteen to call me that my okada had been stolen by one guy. I left the full plate of food I ordered for and joined them in chasing him…. if not for RRS operatives' riders, the suspect would have made away with my bike. We knew that we could not catch up with him because he was far ahead of us with the bike already…. I quickly alerted the RRS riders, who were patrolling the area about the incident. And, immediately, they chased the suspect with their bikes…. After so much effort, they double - crossed him with their bikes…. at this point, the thief abandoned the bike and he tried to escape on foot and then with another motor cyclist before he was arrested."

The suspect, a father of three children, gave account on how he has been stealing bikes in states across the South-West: "I started this crime about two years ago. There were two of us and we operated in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Ekiti and Ondo States…. my accomplice whose name is Ibijuwon is currently serving a jail term in Kirikiri Prison…. The day we went for an operation where he was arrested, it was around Lagos Island, I managed to escape with a stolen bike while he was arrested and subsequently taken to the court where he was eventually sentenced to jail."

He further explained, "on this fateful day, I left Epe to Yaba area. On getting to Yaba, I looked around to know how to start the day's job there but I couldn’t find any motorcycle to steal around the area…. Then, I decided to move to Ijora-Olopa with the hope of stealing any bike on sight. I contracted a commercial motorcycle from Yaba to Ijora…. at Ijora, I saw this man (his victim) when he parked his bike outside and entered the canteen. I noticed that he had locked its steering. So, I quickly asked the rider who took me from Yaba that I wanted to alight to see my brother briefly in that area, unknown to him that I had a sinister motive".

The suspect added "I moved closer to the bike and broke its locked steering. Then I mounted it and zoomed off…. Meanwhile, I had abandoned the commercial rider who brought me to the area. When I was on the bike, I thought I had escaped. Suddenly, I saw two RRS motorcycles pursuing me. I sped off but I was so unlucky they caught up with me despite the fact that I over sped…. I attempted to escape by joining another motorcyclist, yet I was caught again, that was how I gave up."

While confessing to the crime at the RRS's Headquarters, the suspect revealed that his two receivers of stolen motorcycles are based in Lagos. He explained, "I have stolen no fewer than 20 motorcycles across South West. If I go to other states apart from Lagos to operate, I will ride the bike down to Lagos to sell here…. I have two receivers of these stolen bikes. One of them lives at Alamutu in Mushin while the other is in Ijora…. I sold one motorcycle for N40,000 depending on how clean they looked."

The suspect whose body was filled with scars noted that they were as a result of the injuries from his past criminal activities. "All these scars on my body were healed injuries inflicted on me by mob actions anytime I was caught stealing motorcycles. I am just an unrepentant thief because I was supposed to have changed my way of life," he said.

The State's Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Police, SP Dolapo Badmus, who confirmed the incidence, said that efforts are ongoing to arrest the receivers of the stolen motorcycles. She said that the suspect will be charged to court upon completion of the investigation.

Pickpocketing Is More Lucrative Than Auto Engineering – Suspect

An 18 year old suspect arrested by the operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of Lagos State Police Command, has disclosed that he ran away from auto engineering to pickpocketing because it was more lucrative.

The suspect, Seun Jimoh, 18, from Ondo State was arrested on early hours on Tuesday, in Oshodi while in the act. He decked in brown jacket and trousers, and a hand bag like a business executive. Before his arrest, he had already stolen four mobile phones from unsuspecting commuters in an early morning rush in the area.

It was learnt that he was about to remove N18,000:00 from the pocket of a commuter during another bus stampede when he was caught.

According to our source, "Unknowingly to him, two of his victims were on the lookout for him after suspecting him for being in custody of their missing phones. While standing at Oshodi under Bridge, they spotted him removing money from the pocket of a passenger, Gbenga Odeniyi. At that point, his earlier victims, Onuh Austine and Onesimus Paul raised an alarm, which made Jimoh to promptly drop the money and take to his heels but RRS operatives close to the scene chased and caught him."

The operatives after listening to all the accusations requested the people to dial the victims’ phone numbers, which were dialed, and they were found the phone in Jimoh’s handbag.

While at the RRS's Headquarters, the suspect confessed to have stolen the two phones during a bus stampede.

In his confessional statement: “On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, I am always in Oshodi pickpocketing. I stole an average of eight phones on Mondays and maybe like nine phones on Fridays. I don’t really get more than five phones on Wednesdays…. am an orphan. I was brought to Lagos by my uncle. He enlisted me in an auto-mobile workshop but I ran away from there to Mushin where I honed my skills in pickpocketing. All the phones that I stole, I sell them in Alaba Rago to some Hausas. They buy fairly used phones and materials from people. I have been in this business since 2013. I have never been caught or imprisoned before."

In his words, “Nobody needs to train you on how to pickpocket. It is so easy and the idea came naturally to me. You can do it but you do the easy ones. I get to Oshodi by 6:30 a.m. and I leave after operations around 9:00 a.m. I sell Nokia Microsoft N7,000:00; Infinix Hot N8,000; Tecno Y series N7,000 to N9,000 and small Samsung phones N4,000:00.”

The RRS operatives later invited the owners of the two other phones found with Seun to collect them. 

Our source disclosed that the Policemen are on the verge of arresting stolen phone buyers mentioned by the suspects, added that, one of the ways to stem cases of phone theft in the state is to pick-up the major buyers.

Confirming the arrest, the State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Superintendent of Police, SP Dolapo Badmus, re-assured people of Lagos, of maximum security in place in the state. She added that the suspect has given information that would help track down his colleagues in the same trade as well as stolen phone buyers.

The suspect has been transferred to the Lagos State Taskforce on Environment for prosecution.

RRS Arrests Suspected Herbalist Robber Of A 81-Year Old Woman

One of the two-man robbery gang arrested by the operatives of Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of Lagos State Police Command for allegedly robbing a 81 year old lady in her apartment, has confessed that his ringleader, an herbalist, now at large, masterminded the crime.

The suspect, Segun Taiwo, was apprehended after they had successfully dispossessed the 81-year old lady of her valuable at Oduduwa Street, Itire, Lagos.

The duo had collected $10,000, £5,000, an N100,000 and a box containing assorted jewelry from their victim at about 8:00 p.m over the weekend.

While confessing at the RRS’s Headquarters, Taiwo disclosed that he was only invited into the robbery by the herbalist, who promised to give him 50 percent from the loot.

While explaining how they got clue before carrying out the operation, he explained, "the mastermind is an herbalist. He was treating one of the woman's daughters (name withheld) who had sore in her right foot… Whenever the lady visited him for treatment, he was always stylishly collecting information about her mother from her…. Unknowingly to the lady, he had collected all necessary descriptions and information needed to perpetuate the robbery…. After a while, he told me that we have a special operation. He further told me that his patient (the woman's daughter) must not be aware because we were going to their house to rob her mother."

 

The suspect also told investigator that, the herbalist knew exact time to strike the house, the description of the apartment, where the woman's money and other valuables were kept following the information gotten from her daughter.

According to him, "we carried out the robbery successfully. We gained entrance into the two-storey building and headed straight to the old woman’s flat…. From our preliminary investigation, we got to know that the first flat opposite the entrance gate was theirs. We went straight inside the flat without any stress…. We met the 81 year old woman while sitting on the prayer’s mat inside the living room.  We dragged and threatened her with cutlass and axe to surrender all her belongings including foreign currencies with her or else we will waste her life.”

The suspected robber explained that the old woman cooperated with them and handed over a bag filled with both Nigeria and foreign currencies.

"We also forcefully collected her gold jewelry box…. However, on our way out, we overheard the voice of the old woman who was crying and shouting for help…. Unknowingly to us, RRS operatives who were patrolling the area have overheard her voice. As we were rushing out to escape from the house, the operatives sighted us and we took to our heels…. Immediately, the policemen made a hot chase which led to my arrest and my accomplice managed to escape with the local and foreign currencies while the jewelry box was retrieved from me," the suspect revealed.

The suspect also disclosed that they had before now, robbed one innocent man along Okota Road of his Two Hundred Thousand Naira (N200,000.00).

“My gang leader is a very powerful herbalist. He knows when you have money on you. The first day I followed him to rob was a day when we went to Okota Road. On getting there, he saw one man along Okota Road, and he pointed at the man and told me the man had money on him…. We moved closer to the man and he recited some incantations, and to my surprise, that man handed over his money, about Two Hundred Thousand Naira, to us. Out of that money, he gave me just Eleven Thousand Naira (N11, 000.00),” he added.

While confirming the arrest, the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Superintendent of Police, SP Dolapo Badmus, said that the command is making effort to arrest the gang leader, added that Police will leave no stone unturned to nip crimes at bud in the state. The suspect has been transferred to Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) for further investigation.