The Lagos State Police Command says it has arrested nine suspected traffic robbers in the Ketu area of the state.
The suspected robbers are 19-year-old Oluseyi Afolabi, Adeyemo Ayomide, 18, Francis Latifa, 19, Rilwan Raji, 23, Ayomide Oyediran 20, Rasheed Ibrahim 22, Hamzat Abdullahi 19, Musa Gbadamosi 20, and Seun Lasisi 32.
Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the command’s Public Relations Officer, said the suspects were arrested on Thursday, December 31 at about 8 pm along Y -Junction, by Old Tollgate, Ketu while trying to rob a couple.
“The suspects had attacked one Mr Adejare Adetayo and wife in the traffic at the area when police detectives on undercover operation along the area went after the hoodlums and arrested nine (9) with their operational weapons,” Adejobi said.
He also noted that Hakeem Odumosu, the state Commissioner of Police, has directed that the suspects be transferred to State CID, Panti, Yaba, for proper investigation.
Robbery inside traffic in Lagos is growing and residents are already expressing concerns about the development.
About two weeks ago, it was reported that Charles Inojie, a nollywood actor and producer, was robbed of his valuables at gunpoint, in Lagos traffic.
The news was shared by his colleague and friend, Chinedu Ikedieze via his official Instagram page where he dropped Inojie’s new contact for people who may want to reach him.
Two journalists working with The Guardian Stanley Akpunonu and Ngozi Egenuka, were, on Tuesday night, December 22 attacked by armed robbers who dispossessed them of their valuables at Cele Bus Stop, on the Oshodi-Apapa expressway.
The journalists narrated that they were beaten with cutlasses by the robbers numbering five, while some others also brandished guns before carting away two Android phones, one iPhone, cash and a laptop, all worth over N300,000.
Narrating the incident, Ngozi, said: “We were in a bus heading to Mile Two, but at Cele Bus Stop, the tyre of the bus we were in got burst while in traffic. We all came down to collect our balance when suddenly, the armed robbers appeared to attack us. One of them put a gun to Stanley’s head, saying ‘Don’t shout or I will shoot. Oya bring out your phone.”
She added that one of them used cutlass to hit her head three times while she was refusing to release her phone to them before her bag was forcefully taken from her.
Stanley described the experience as traumatising.
“It was traumatising for me. A gun was pointed at me and my phones and laptop were taken away from me.”
The driver and conductor of the bus they boarded managed to escape before the robbers surrounded the passengers. According to the reports by other passengers who got robbed in other buses, after the attack, the robbers proceeded to steal from other motorists in the traffic along the route.
Attempts to get a new SIM card have been futile due to the new Federal Government policy on National Identification Number (NIN) registration and stoppage of the registration of new lines.
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