The Lagos State-funded anti -crime outfit, Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command on Sunday morning ambushed and arrested three notorious in – traffic armed robbers in Ikoyi area of the state.
The rejuvenated squad, according to source apprehended the suspects alleged to be members of a syndicate that has been terrorizing commuters and motorists around Bourdillon in Ikoyi.
According to source, the suspects include one Joseph Edema, 24, Jamilu Musa, 29 and Gambo Yunusa ,30 , they were allegedly arrested while perfecting plan for an operation.
While confessing to the crime, Jamilu Musa, who hails from Jigawa State, claimed, he was not a member of the gang, but claimed to have known Joseph Edema, as a member of the robbery gang operating in Ikoyi area.
“I and Gambo Yunusa are innocent. We only sell second-hand goods at under bridge before government sent us away from the bridge. In the evening time, we do relax under a tree in the field” .
He said “but every evening, this boy, pointing to Joseph Edema and his gang numbering about 15 usually converge here to meet. Some of them will even come with traveller’s bag and school bags but I don’t know the content. We will just be looking at them from a far place”.
Gambo stressed that they were not among the notorious guys snatching handsets, bags and other valuables from motorists and passers-by in the area, adding that they were just a victim of circumstance.
According to the RRS Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Olatunji Disu, “Following complaints from members of public of incessant in-traffic robbery attacks around the axis, our men laid an ambush on them which led to the arrest of the suspects, while others manage to escape the dragnet of the Police. When the Policemen combed the area, different weapons were recovered from their hideouts”.
The commander said that the aggressive operations to bring crime rate in the state to zero level have continued to yield positive results.
“Policemen are complementing and re-launching a massive aggression to all criminal hideouts in the state. And these operations have since yielded positive results as many in-traffic robbers had been rounded up. We will continue this onslaught until we achieve zero level of crime rates within the metropolis”, the Commander said.
