Operatives of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) on Sunday arrested two notorious suspected ‘one-chance’ armed robbery gang at Ikate, Lekki-Ajah area of Lagos.
NigeriaCrime.com learned that unsuspecting commuters boarded the unpainted T4 commercial bus used by the suspects to carry out robbery operations at Alfa-Beach.
Confirming the arrest, the General Manager of LASTMA Mr Bolaji Oreagba disclosed that they were nabbed by the patrol team of the Agency while on duty monitoring and controlling traffic around Lekki-Ajah axis of the State.
According to the General Manager “our officials while on traffic patrol heard passengers with a loud voice shouting thieves! thieves!! inside an unpainted T4 commercial bus (AAA 750 XX), while trying to stop the driver he drove dangerously and our men pursued them with a Lastma patrol vehicle down to Ikate where they were blocked by another pathfinder car belonging to a good samaritan”
Mr. Oreagba confirmed that while 2 suspects were arrested the other remaining two escaped with the P.O.S. they used to withdraw passenger’s money inside the T4 commercial bus.
“The two arrested suspects with the recovered unpainted T4 commercial bus were later handed over to R.R.S personnel who were on pin-down at Chisco, along Lekki- Ajah”
They were all later moved down to Ilasan Police Station for further investigations.
The General Manager however advised Lagos residents to always ensure they board buses at designated garages and always be vigilant/keen-eyed, especially when boarding public vehicles.
One of the rescued passengers Mr Christophe Omukoro said he boarded the unpainted commercial bus from Alfa-Beach going to Ikate.
He disclosed that they were 4 with P.O.S machines collecting passengers’ ATM cards and withdrawing money from individual accounts.
Mr Omukoro confirmed that the passenger started shouting thieves! thieves!! thieves!!! after they had collected their phones with other valuables items from them.
Other rescued victims are Mr Laffin Lawrence and Mrs Owo Chidima.