Hyacinth Chinweuba
The Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit (Taskforce), at the weekend arrested a notorious criminal over robbery and pick-pocketing in Lagos.
The Chairman, CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi disclosed that the suspect was arrested on top of ‘Costain Bridge’ around Surulere area by the ‘Enforcement and Monitoring’ patrol team of the Agency.
CSP Egbeyemi disclosed further that preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect was a ring leader of a 4 man criminal gang who specialises in picking pockets and robbing the public of their valuables such as phones, wallets and jewelleries with the use of a commercial bus at different parts of the State.
“The suspect and 3 others who are presently at large was nabbed after they jumped down from a commercial bus on top of costain bridge immediately they suspected that a patrol team of the Agency was chasing them right from Ojuelegba”
According to CSP Egbeyemi “There has been series of complaint by commuters on activities of these criminals using commercial bus to rob them of their valuables that was what prompted the officers of the Agency to embark on regular patrol of every nooks and crannies of the State”
The Chairman maintained that the operatives of the Agency and other security agencies across the State would not relent in curbing criminal activities (robbery and pick-pocketing) being perpetuated by miscreants and hoodlums across the State”
While urging members of the public to always report any illegal and criminal activities around them to relevant law enforcement officers of the State, CSP Egbeyemi however confirmed that the Lagos State Commissioner of Police CP Zubairu Muazu has directed that the suspect be charged to court for prosecution.
The suspect Godwin Okafor (31) of No. 127, Ojo Road, Ajegunle, confessed during interrogation that he started as a bus conductor 15 years ago before becoming a notorious Pick-pocket.
He confessed further that he and his criminal gang had operated at different parts of the State which include Oshodi to Mile 2, Obalende, Pen-cinema, Agege, Ojota and Ikorodu Road and that any passenger who refused to cooperate with them were beaten and thrown out of their commercial bus on top speed.
“We have been in this robbery and pick-pocketing business for long as we dispossessed our passengers of their valuables such as wallets, jewelleries including phones which we sold as fairly used to the public”
The suspect also claimed they were making N80,000 to N100,000 everyday after selling their stolen phones and other valuables.