From Matthew Aramunde, Lagos
The Lagos State Police Command has paraded some notorious inter- states robbery gang, that terrorizes motorists and their passengers along major highways in the country.
The Lagos State Police Commissioner, Kayode Aderanti, made the disclosures when he briefed media men in his office.
He told pressmen that on the 20th of September, and at about o200hrs, information got to him that some armed robbers whom he said had earlier snatched a Toyota Hiace bus along Ile-Ife, had converged at a place in the Ebute-Metta area of Lagos, were they were alleged to be putting finishing touches to their grand plan to execute another round of their nefarious activities.
He said based on this information, .he instructed the men of the State Anti- Robbery Squad, led by Abba Kyari who is a Superintendent of Police (SP) to go after the men stressing that it was Kyari leading two SARS decoy team that swooped on the premises, leading to the arrest of the gang members.
He gave the names of the gang members as Joel Eghon, Jude Dike, Ifeanyi Onwegbuuchi ,Solomon Igwe. Others are Emmanuel Ifeanyi,Ejike Emegwo and Leonard Afoaku The Police boss disclosed that apart from the snatched Toyota Hiace Bus that was recovered from the robbers, other items recovered include four Volkswagen engines, female bags, female shoes and motor gear oil.
He noted that in a follow up case, a barretta pistol with S/No P175131, nine rounds of 9mm ammunition, three locally made pistols cut to size and thirty-three live cartridges were recovered from John Eghon and his gang members, noting that the suspects confessed their involvements in robberies within Lagos, Oyo and Osun states.
One Leonard Afoaku who the gang members confessed usually received their stolen goods according to the Police Commissioner, is presently cooling his heels in a Police cell and has told the Police all he knew about the robbers’ criminal activities.
In a related development, two suspected armed robbers who specialize in snatching cars and robbing their victims of their belongings have also been arrested by men of the Lagos State Command.
Lagos State Police Commissioner, Kayode Aderanti, told pressmen in his office that on the 22nd September 2014, and at about 0030 hrs, a distress call was pulled through to his office about the suspicious movement of a Honda Accord Saloon car with registration No NH 293 AAA within the Mushin area of Lagos state.
He said based upon this information, he again detailed Abba Kyari and his men at the State Anti- Robbery Squad to go after the car, informing that it was Kyari who briefed and deployed three SARS decoy operatives who eventually accosted the said Honda Accord car at Daleko roundabout and subsequently arrested the two occupants of the car.
He gave the names of the suspects as Babatunde Makinde and Faruk Lawal revealing that when a search was conducted on the vehicle, one double barrel pistol, two single barrel pistols and twenty-eight live cartridges were recovered.
In a chat with our correspondent the duo confessed that on the fateful day at about 730pm, they had accosted the owner of the car with registration No NH 293 AAA, who they said was in company of a lady on Bajulaiye road in Shomolu area of Lagos state. They thereafter, at gun point demanded the car keys from him, after which they pushed him to the back seat allowing the said lady in his company to escape.
They then drove the car and its owner away and later dropped him at Anthony bus stop, some seven kilometers from the scene of the crime.
The Police however said that the suspect would be charged to court as soon as investigations were concluded.
