…Parades Suspected Criminals
The Lagos State Police Command has vowed to purge the state of all criminal elements, including police personnel who aid and abate crime.The Commissioner of Police, in the state Fatai Owoseni, said the command has strengthened operations in the last one month leading to the arrest of 24 armed robbers and 15 cult members with different types of charms, arms and ammunition.
Highlighting the details about the arrests, Owoseni disclosed that on the 24th of July, 2017, one Sergeant Sylvanus Emoche, who was demobilized from 20 PMF and transferred to Kogi State Command, was arrested with two other civilians for attempted murder/robbery at Ajao Estate, Lagos.
The Sergeant was said to have shot sporadically to threaten one Okafor Oluchi, who challenged the officer for forceful attempt to remove an unregistered Honda Pilot Jeep parked in her compound by her husband, David Okafor.
In another armed robbery incident, which happened on the 17th of July, 2017, three police sergeants; Benjamin Oboh, Onyenedu Kennedy and Monday Ekhigato, who were attached to FSARS Ipakodo and Bariga Division, Lagos, were arrested for unlawful torture and extortion of N105, 000 belonging to one Adeshina Quwam Adekunle, whom they allegedly suspected as an internet fraudster (Yahoo Boy) and threatened under gun point to settle them or they would arrest him.
The same officers allegedly extorted N30, 000 from one Ghenoba Godspower using the same process. “They were arrested and tried in an Orderly Room and recommended for dismissal,” Owoseni said.
The Commissioner also disclosed a kidnapping case, which happened on the 5th of July, 2017, involving two Philipinos – Jamie Larcar and Mario Maglundo of Mateco Industry West Africa Ltd. The two were kidnapped by a gang who were later tracked and arrested by the police at Ikotun.
According to him, several other suspected extortionists and cultists were arrested in the last one month leading to the recovery of 16 vehicles and different types of arms and ammunition.
He said with the efforts and measures being adopted by the police command to fight crime in the state, more arrests will be made in the future, adding that the command will consolidate on its success by collaborating forces and intelligence with other security agencies to ensure that the state is safe and secure at all times.
“The command will not relent in its responsibility to curb criminal activities in the state. We urge the general public to support this effort with useful information on suspicious moves around them. Information that will lead to arrest and evidence that will help eventual prosecution of the criminals.
“We are also working with other security agencies to sustain this fight against crime. And as we do so, we advise that nobody should indulge in unlawful killing of suspects through jungle justice. Anybody caught in the act of taking laws into their hands will be made to face the wrath of the law,” Owoseni said.
He added that those paraded were still under investigation and will be prosecuted accordingly in line with the laws. According to him, possession of unlawful charms, arms and ammunition were enough to prosecute the suspects.