Task force nabs robber, remands two in prison

Kehinde Mojeed

Officials of the Lagos State Task force on Environmental and Special Offences unit have arrested a suspected robber, Kehinde Mojeed, at the Iganmu area of the state.

 The operatives had gone after Mojeed and his colleagues, who were still on the run, for snatching two phones from passersby.

The 31-year-old suspect, who hails from Ogun State, was said to have been apprehended at about 6.30pm on November 11.

One of the victims, Bolaji Lawal, who works at a factory in the area, said he was returning home on the fateful day when the gang attacked him and his friend.

He said, “We wanted to buy pure water when they accosted us. My BlackBerry Bold 5 was with my friend and his own Nokia phone. One of them slapped him and collected the BlackBerry and the Nokia phones from him. We went after them to give us the phones, but they refused. We were warned to stop following them because they could kill us.

“As we were following them, we saw policemen under the bridge and we quickly alerted them. They came and arrested one of the hoodlums while seven others fled the scene with our phones.”

Our correspondent learnt further that two other suspected hoodlums recently arrested by the operatives at the Ojota area for extorting money from motorists had been sent to Badagry Prison when they could not perfect their bail terms at the Special Offences Court, Alausa.

While confirming the arrests to the Task force Chairman, Bayo Sulaiman, a Chief Superintendent of Police, said Mojeed had been detained at the task force office in Ikeja and would be charged to court soon.

The chairman also enjoined those who engaged in lawless activities to desist from such.

Sulaiman said, “Apart from Mojeed, two other hoodlums were recently arrested in the Ojota area for extorting money from motorists under the guise of collecting tolls from them. The task force is stepping up enforcement and will comb the nooks and crannies of the state to ensure hoodlums are arrested and prosecuted. Others should desist from these nefarious activities as the task force will go after them.”