Friday, March 29, 2024

FSARS arrests suspects terrorising Lagos residents

The long arms of the law have finally caught up with two suspected armed robbers, alleged to have been terrorising residents of Ire Akari Estate, Ejigbo and Isolo areas of Lagos State.

The arrest of the suspects followed painstaking investigations by the operatives of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Adeniji Adele Road, Central Police Station, Lagos Island.

The suspects, who have since been telling the police all they know about sundry robbery incidents in the area, were simply identified as Chinedu Ajogwu, 24, and Uchenna Chukwudi Mbah, 33.

The alleged kingpin of the gang, who was equally known and identified as ‘Small,’ was a step ahead of the detectives who arrested his cohorts.

Sources said that nemesis caught up with the suspects, who had claimed to be residents of Ejigbo area of Lagos, towards the end of 2016, when they reportedly raided residential apartments, mechanic workshops and car sales outlets in the area, stealing and vandalising vehicles.

The source added that while the operation was going on, victims sent a distress call to the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of FSARS, Mr. Ibrahim Kaoje, about the incident.

We specialise in robbing residents, vandalising vehicles at mechanic workshops, car sales outlets… and we normally sell the stolen items at the popular spare parts market in Lagos

The DCP was said to have immediately dispatched a team of armed police officers, led by one Chief Superintendent Megida Dauda, to the scene to arrest the suspects. “And on sighting the SARS team, the suspects opened fire and a gun battle ensued, during which the two suspects were arrested while their alleged leader, called Small escaped,” the source said.

Items said to have been recovered from the suspects include their two operational vehicles, vandalised vehicle parts, such as two Infinity SUV head light, Golf headlight, four Corolla car door glass control, two brain boxes, one HP laptop, a generating set, a Mercedes car jack and two Honda car glass control.

In the course of investigations, the arrested suspects allegedly confessed to the crime, explaining that they had been robbing residents and vandalising vehicles in the area in the past two years.

Ajogwu, one of the suspects, allegedly said, “Small is our leader and the owner of the guns we used for the operation.

We specialise in robbing residents, vandalising vehicles at mechanic workshops, car sales outlets in the area and we normally sell the stolen items at the popular spare parts market in Lagos.

We promise to stop stealing if we are set free.” The suspects were later arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrates Court, Lagos, on a two-count charge of robbery.

The offences, according to the prosecutor, Deputy Superintendent Charles Odii, are punishable under sections 297 and 285 (1) of the criminal laws of Lagos State, 2011.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the alleged crime in the open court and Magistrate O. Owumi admitted them to bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties each in like sum. Owumi adjourned the case while the accused persons were sent to Ikoyi Prisons, pending when they would perfect their bail condition.

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