Police Arrest 2,329 Suspects for Robbery, Kidnap, Cultism in Lagos

Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, CP Adegoke Fakoade, yesterday, disclosed that 2,329 suspects were arrested for various offences ranging from robbery, cultism and kidnapping in 100 days in Lagos .

CP Fakoade made the disclosure at the Police Officers Mess in the Ikeja Government Reserved Area, GRA while briefing journalists on the command’s scorecard wsince he assumed office on December 14, 2023. He also disclosed that 2,253 suspects had been prosecuted in the period under review, while several others were being processed for prosecution.

In the month of February 2024 alone, 64 suspects according to the command boss, were arrested, with the recovery of 20 firearms, including four toy guns, 120 rounds of toy ammunition , 28 live ammunition, 15 live cartridges and three expended cartridges.

Recovered from the latest suspects were four vehicles stolen at different locations in Lagos, Point of Sale, POS machine, seven cutlasses, illicit drugs and various charms.

Parading the 64 suspects before journalists, CP Fakoade , said among them was a five-man kidnap gang. Explaining, he said, “ Three men, one in military uniform accosted a young man and subsequently abducted him in a Honda Saloon car and demanded ransom on February 20, 2024.

“The victim transferred N400,000 to his abductors before he was released to another group who took him away in their Toyota Camry car, obtained his Cartier wristwatch, iPhone 12 pro max and then demanded for a ransom of N6.4 million . A friend of the victim paid fifty thousand naira to the abductors.“Upon reporting of the case, luckily, the victim was able to identify a young lady whom he saw pointing at him before the incident. Investigation led to the arrest of Zara Onyesom , 28; Abayomi Ishola, 28; Chima Collins,29; Oluwasheun Illre , 40 and Ayodabo Muyideen, 38.

“One Honda Saloon car and Toyota Camry car were recovered. All items obtained from the victim were also recovered and handed over to him. The case has been charged to court”.

Also, a fleeing suspected member of a robbery gang that stole a Lexus ES 350 car , in connivance with the undisclosed company’s private guard , on June 6,2023, was arrested on March 12,2024, according to the CP, He said one locally made Beretta pistol , one English pistol with one live ammunition were recovered from the suspect whom he identified as Afeez Bolaji. The Command boss also disclosed that one of the stolen vehicles , a Toyota Sienna was recovered on the verge of being dismantled in Okokomaiko area of Lagos.

He said, “ On March 25, 2024 at about 10.10am, based on report on an ongoing butchering of a Sienna vehicle part at Okokomaiko area, operatives of the Command stormed the area and arrested one Gambo Jubril, 31; Muhammed Sanni, 31; Usman Sanni , 33; Mustapha Saliu,2; Abba Abdullahi, 24; Saminu Abubakar, 18; Aruna Abdullahi, 21;Awoulu Yusuf , 25 and Useni Bala, 22. “The said vehicle was stolen the same day at about 1.30am at Era area of the State. Parts of the butchered vehicle were recovered”. He informed that the command had resolved to improve its performance by regularly reviewing its strategies, re-jig its men and motivating them for better performance.

Source: Vanguard