The operatives of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit (Taskforce) at the weekend nabbed a suspected criminal over robbery and pick-pocketing in Lagos.
The Chairman, CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi disclosed that the suspect was nabbed on top of ‘Costain Bridge’ around Surulere area by the ‘Enforcement and Monitoring’ patrol team of the Agency.
According to Egbeyemi, 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 jewelries with the use of a commercial bus at different parts of the State.
“The suspect and three 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 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 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 included 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, jewelries, 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.