Christopher Oji, Lagos
The Lagos State Police Command has arrested about 100 suspected criminals in the state. Eighty-two of the suspects were arrested in the Ikorodu area of the state, with others picked up in other locations.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bala Elkana, in a press statement, said that:
“On January 25, at about 06:00 hours, acting on credible intelligence, the Special Strike Force on Social Miscreants, established by the Commissioner of Police Lagos State Command, Hakeem Odumosu, arrested 21 cult suspects at Adamo community, Imota. The suspects, who belong to two rival cult groups, Aiye and Eiye confraternity, mobilised from Emure and Adamo communities, to unleash terror on residents of Adamo community and environs. The arrest was carried out in a joint operation with operatives from Imota Police Station, Rapid Response Squad, Special Anti Robbery Squad, and Area N Command. This is a follow up to the operations carried out at Ijede where 65 cult suspects were arrested.
“Eleven assorted pistols of different calibres with a large quantity of ammunition were recovered from the suspects. The suspects confessed to be responsible for a series of violent attacks, murder and armed robbery incidents recorded in Ikorodu area. The suspects will be charged to court.
“The Commissioner of Police further reaffirmed the commitment of the Command to address the menace of cultism and youth gangsterism in the State.”
DSP Elkana stated that in another development three notorious traffic robbery suspects were also arrested, “at about 0530 hours, following a sustained monitoring, police operatives deployed to Ipaja area on anti-traffic robbery patrol (motorcycle patrol) by Odumosu, have arrested three traffic robbery suspects: Hassan Lekan, 19, Owolabi Seyi, 18, and Ismailia Ibrahim,19. The suspects specialised in snatching handbags, phones and money from unsuspecting members of the public. They mostly operated between 4 am and 7 am. Items recovered from them included phones and bags they snatched from three different victims. The suspects were charged to court.
“In a related development, operatives from Ipaja division arrested two notorious suspects who specialised in car snatching and stealing vehicles from parking spaces mostly in worship centres. The suspects were Bamidele Adebayo and Hakeem Taofik.
“On January 19, at about 1300 hours, the suspects stole a Toyota Corolla saloon car at a church in Shagari Estate Ipaja and moved the vehicle to Ijagba village in Sango Ota, Ogun State. Detectives from Ipaja Police Station recovered the vehicle at about 1600 hrs of the same date from the suspects. The suspects were also charged to court,” the statement read.