RRS Arrest Two Ex-Convict After Robbing Truck Driver

The operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested two suspected robbers who specialise in attacking and robbing motorists and commuters in Mile 2 area of Lagos State.

The suspects, Sunday Chukwunweike (26) and Emmanuel Friday (28), were arrested after mid-night on Mile 2 Bridge in Lagos after robbing a truck driver, Yinusa Salami. The duo robbed Yinusa, alongside two other accomplices, Silas and Sule, both still at large, of a sum of N45,000 and his mobile phone.

In his confession, one of the suspects, Emmanuel, a secondary school dropout who later became a bus conductor in the area said, “I was in the company of my friends when we saw the driver. He was coming from Apapa. He stopped on the bridge to pick somebody.

“It was the elderly ones among us that robbed him. I thought they were going to drop some money for us to eat when we approached him. It was Silas and Sule that dipped their hands in his pockets and brought out some money… They took the money and the phone and we went our way. They later told us that it was N40,000:00 they took in his pocket. Because they are stronger than us, they gave my colleague and I N10,000:00 to share…. We were hungry, that was what made us follow them. I took to the street after dropping out of school to fend for myself. Although, I have participated in so many crimes such as inter-group fight, hemp smoking, pick pocketing and the rest, I have never been involved in robbery or threatening people with gun or dangerous objects.”

 

Emmanuel added, “I have been to the prison twice. One in 2013 where I spent 7 months and also in 2016 where I bagged 3 months after engaging in street fighting…. Silas and Sule forcefully collected a sum of N45,000 from the truck driver and gave both me and Chukwunweike N10,000 as share from the loot. We went back to our usual joint before the truck driver led men of the Rapid Response Squad to arrest us.”

On his part, Chukwunweike, an ex-convict, confessed to the crime but blamed his wrong doing on the hard life which he had expose himself to on the street. “I came back from prison after spending 3 months but here I am again in another mess,” he said.

The truck driver, Yinusa Salami, stated that he stopped at the bridge to pick up his brother who was waiting for him there. “I was coming from Apapa and heading to Osun. I wanted to assist my brother who was equally going to Osun State. I got to the bridge and I alighted from the truck; that was when I saw four of them…. I was about giving them some money when they seized my arms, before dragging me to the ground and forcefully collected all the money in my pocket totalling N45,000 claiming they control the area and nothing can happen afterwards.

I approached men of RRS stationed at the other side of the bridge to report the incident. They followed me to track the boys. That was when we saw the two of them trying to split their own share of the money. They were arrested there but the other two guys escaped.”

The suspects have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigations and prosecution.

Badoo: Police Arrest 87 Suspects, Declare 20 Wanted

In continuation of its clamp down on suspected Badoo members, Lagos State Police Command in collaboration with other security agencies and local security volunteers have arrested 87 suspected Badoo members while declaring 20 other people wanted in connection with activities of the group in Ikorodu.

The 87 suspected Badoo members were arrested in an all-night operation on their hideouts in Owutu and Odongunyan in Ikorodu.

Those declared wanted for cult related killings include: Moshood (a.k.a. Mosho); Alfa (a.k.a. King of Boys); Papa; Fela; Alakoto and Chukwudi.

The police also declared 14 others wanted for kidnapping in Ikorodu. They include: Agbara; O/C; Femi (a.k.a FM); Pencil, Odidan; Jaru; Allen; Bush; Happiness; Fagbo; Junior; Nuru and Jamiu.

The police called on the suspects to come out of their hideouts and report themselves to the nearest police station.

The Command equally advised members of the public with useful information on the suspects who are all residents of Ikorodu to assist the police.  

The raid was an extensive operation on the two areas - Odongunyan and Owutu. The operation was necessitated by more intelligence on the membership of the dreaded cult group and their mode of operations.

Before the operations, the police in conjunction with members of the Department of State Security Service, representatives of the Nigerian Army, Lagos Neighbourhood Security Corps and Odua Peoples’ Congress (OPC) met with herbalists and Babalawos in Ikorodu and its suburbs on the need to collaborate with the police to wipe out the cult group in Ikorodu.

Representing the Lagos State Police Commissioner, CP Fatai Owoseni at the meeting, Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP Imohimi Edgal, warned the herbalists and Babalawo and local vigilantes to eschew jungle justice, stressing that the Command would not tolerate further excesses from the security stakeholders.

Edgal solicited for more information that would help the police to speedily end the activities of the group in the area.

The Police Commissioners later met with Obas and traditional rulers in Ikorodu.

Also involved in the exercise were the Commander, Rapid Response Squad (RRS), ACP Olatunji Disu; Acting Area Commander, Ikorodu and all DPOs in Ikorodu among other senior police officers.

Cable Theft: RRS Nabs Two

Operatives of Rapid Response Squad of the Lagos State Police Command in separate incidences yesterday arrested two suspects over the vandalisation of cable and transformer.

The suspects, Oladele Elegbede, 54 and Andrew Onoriode 25, were arrested early in the morning by the operatives in Dopemu and Alausa area of the State with vandalised cable and transformer earth.

One of the suspects, a grandfather of three, Oladele Elegbede, who is a trained electrician, was arrested early Saturday morning by the operatives of Rapid Response Squad in Dopemu for vandalising transformer cables around 4:37 a.m. yesterday. He is from Ilaro, Ogun State.

Elegbede had a week before the incident stolen cables around the transformer, throwing the entire community into darkness.

 

Some of the residents of the area, who followed Elegbede to RRS Headquarters in Alausa, alleged that he was the one responsible for the vandalisation of the transformer cable on Monday.

Elegbede, who was caught with a cutting plier, confessed that he vandalised cables whenever he was broke. He added that he had sold vandalised cables in Railway Crossing more than seven times.

In his confession, he said “I was arrested around to 5:00 a.m. I went to that transformer to operate. I was there last week. I cut cable whenever I am broke. I have three grandchildren. My wife is dead…. The last cable I sold weighed one kilo. I was paid N1,500:00. I sold it at Oju Irin Pen Cinema. The one I just cut can fetch me N1,300:00.”

 

According to a scrap metal dealer who the suspect fingered as his buyer, Abdulsamod Yau, “I have bought cable from him (pointing to Elegbede) like seven times.”

The second cable thief, Andrew Onoriode, 25, who claimed to be a casual staff of Nigerian Bottling Company, Agidingbi plant in Ikeja was arrested behind Shoprite Ikeja with a freshly cut armoured cable believed to belong to the Lagos State Ministry of Works.

According to investigators, the cable was cut from the network supplying powers to some of the buildings around the Secretariat.

The two suspects have been transferred to the Lagos State Taskforce for prosecution.