Police parade 66 suspects for robbery, kidnapping, others in Lagos

Lagos State Police Command, yesterday, paraded 66 suspects for engaging in various crimes, including armed robbery, unlawful possession of arms, impersonation, cultism, murder and other crimes.

According to the police, from all these cases, which were successfully cracked, a total of 14 firearms, including two AK47 rifles, one of them, locally fabricated, two locally fabricated toy guns, 15 live cartridges, four expended cartridges, 25 live ammunition, five machetes, 34 bags of Indian hemp, six vehicles, and two bags containing fake United States (US) dollars, fake pound sterling notes were recovered.

Also recovered by operatives were two award plaques from Buccaneer fraternity, one Buccaneer banner, a pair of police camouflage uniform, a jack knife, police identity card, two hoods, black pipes, some quantity of weed suspected to be Indian hemp and sixty-six kegs of fake Total engine oil.

In the case of murder, the command paraded 30-year-old Salami Ahmed, 22-year-old Ismaila Adio, 23-year-old Toheeb Muri, 24-year-old Seyi Olajide, 34-year-old Nelson Sunday, and 24-year-old James Nnamani, who were arrested at their hideout in Alagbado and Amikanle areas of the state.

The suspects had on August 3, robbed around Airport Hotel Ikeja, murdered a police officer and carted away his rifle. Operatives of the Command embarked on a discreet investigation and arrested them, while one AK47 rifle with 21 rounds of live ammunition was recovered.

The suspects were also said to be responsible for robbing a popular night club in Ikeja on July 19.

The police also paraded 40-year-old Solomon Ochohepor and 47-year-old Abu Ibrahim, who impersonated as mobile police officers guarding an estate and were trying to effect an arrest on a case reported by a lady who thought they were genuine officers.

One fabricated AK47 rifle with three live ammunition, a pair of police camouflage uniforms, a jack knife and police identity cards were recovered from the suspects.

During the parade, spokesperson of the Lagos State Police Command, Benjamin Hundeyin, said some of the suspected criminal elements were using Orile White-sand under bridge as hideout, and other black spots within the community.

According to him, police operatives stormed the scene and arrested them and recovered two machetes, two live cartridges, two hoods, black pipes, some quantity of Indian hemp and two bags containing fake US Dollars and fake pound sterling notes.

Speaking, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Idowu Owohunwa said: “I use this medium to assure Lagosians that the Command would continue to do everything operationally possible to ensure that crime and criminality is brought to the barest minimum in the state.”