RRS arrests suspected robber, cable thief 

A suspected armed robber operating with motorcycle in Ikorodu area of Lagos State and a cable thief were last Thursday arrested separately by operatives of the Lagos State Rapid Response Squad (RRS). The robbery suspect, Sodiq Rasaq was arrested at Ijede Junction, Ikorodu when he was fleeing the scene of robbery. 

The suspect in company of an accomplice, Quadri Yusuph, had robbed a ‘puff–puff’ seller at about 5:00a.m. and dispossessed him of N20,000 before fleeing. The duo thereafter stabbed their victim with dagger twice in the hand when he challenged them. The suspects, having completed their mission fled the scene before their victim raised alarm. 

According to the victim, Ogbodo Chibuike, “two young men on okada stopped me that they want to buy ‘puff-puff’. I didn’t suspect anything because they were of my age. They bought puff puff of N200. They were to pay me but refused. I challenged them, they alighted and stabbed me, and took my wallet containing N20,000.

“I had to call for help when they stabbed me with knife. It was my noise that attracted people. Because they were on okada, those who came to my aid couldn’t chase them but some RRS officers on patrol pursued them. They caught up with them at Ijede Junction and arrested one of them. The other escaped.”

The suspect disclosed to the police that, that was their second operation for the day. Meanwhile, a cable thief, Peter Abah, 32, was arrested almost same time on Mobolaji Johnson Road, Ikeja with the cables concealed inside a wheelbarrow.The suspect, who was released from Badagry Prison in December 2018 after being convicted for stealing solar panels, told the police that he along with two others, now at large, severed the cable from a newly installed transformer in the area.

“We were three. We cut the cable from a transformer. We climbed the electric pole before removing the cables from it. I was just unlucky. My colleagues’ names are Godwin and Zuma. We all connived to cut the upright cables, and we knew we could make something out of it to augment our salaries.”Speaking on the development, the Commissioner of Police, Muazu Zubairu directed that all the fleeing suspects be arrested and case transferred to SCID, Panti for further investigation.