Six fake soldiers were on Wednesday 17th January 2024 paraded at the Lagos state police command for impersonation and armed robbery.
The suspects were paraded alongside 31 others suspects for engaging in varying crimes including armed robbery, stealing, cultism and unlawful possession of firearms in the last one month.
Speaking during the parade, the Commissioner of Police CP Adegoke Fayoade said: “On the 12th January 2024 at about 3 pm Headquarters 9 Brigade of Nigerian Army arrested and handed over six suspected armed robbers/cultists named Fatai Ajayi aged 25, Samuel Issac aged 26, Solomon Kamaldeen aged 28, Kenneth Danladi aged 29, Etuk Ayanime, aged 28 and Damilola Oyerinde aged 36 along with one locally fabricated beretta pistol with one live 9mm ammunition.”
“The suspects were arrested for impersonation, armed robbery and cultism.”
“Seven other suspects were arrested for conspiracy; armed robbery and illegal possession of firearms were also paraded.
The suspects are Toheeb Oyekunle, Victor Jimoh, Samuel Okanlawon, Segun Babatunde, Okeowo Tosin and Mohammed Ibrahim, in connection with the invasion that took place at at Iju-Ishaga area of the state where the suspects snatched an AK47 rifle from a police Officer. The suspects confessed to the crime and other criminal activities within Lagos and environs. One cut to size AK47 was recovered from them.”
“Also, three notorious cultists terrorising Ikorodu and its environs were among the suspects paraded. The suspects according to the police, were apprehended based on credible intelligence on January 11, 2024, at about 1am by operatives of the Lagos State Command.”
“The suspects are: Balogun Tola aka 50 aged 35, Tunde Oladipupo aged 43, Rasa Ridwan aged 27 and Abimbola Aro aged 29 were nabbed in connection with cult related activities.
The following items were recovered from them: Three English double barrel gun, One pump action rifle, one reining model 700 rifle, one locally made pistol, Seventy-Four rounds of live ammunition, Sixty-Eight rounds of cartridges, one baretta pistol magazine, Four axes, Three daggers and Five cutlasses.
Four other suspects who were arrested on January 11, 2024, at about 3 pm by police officers attached to the Command were also paraded.
It was learned that a locally fabricated double barrel gun was recovered by the suspects identified as Rilwan Kareem, Adejumo Noah, Oluwadade Oluwasegun and Babatunde Raheed when they were stopped and searched based on their suspicious movement within Aguda area.
Explaining further, CP Fayoade said that a total of Sixteen firearms including a toy pistol, Seventy-Two live cartridges, Seventy-Five live ammunition, one expended cartridge, one pistol magazine, Six axes, Four daggers, Five Cutlasses, Two vehicles, one POS Machine, fake vehicle registration plates and various charms were recovered from the suspects.
Meanwhile, within the same period under review, the Commissioner of police said a total of One Thousand and Fifty (1,050) motorcycles were impounded on prohibited routes.