Traffic Robbers Union Reacts Over Arrest Of Members 

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

Members of the road traffic robbers union who specialised in using toys guns to rob people at various bus stops in Lagos have reacted over their ordeal in the hands of the police.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that some of the suspects revealed that they had a strong union, territories of operation and rules guiding their members in their operations, and they claimed that they were non violent “shakara” robbers.

The group had suffered serious setbacks last week after FSARS operatives arrested 10 suspects and recovered their toy guns which they used to rob people.

The suspects were Imole Otegbeye, 22, Ibrahim Raymond, 28, Mufutau Riwan, 22, Samad Sikiru, 23 and Riwan Abdusalam, 22.

Others arrested were Ibrahim Salami, 26, Idowu Lamidi, 28, ismali Malik, 25, Ayodele Ezekiel, 28 and Ayodele Oluwafemi, 36.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the police also recovered some toy guns which they used as tool for their criminal trade and they were kept as exhibits.

The hard working Commissioner of Police, CP Imohimi Edgal at the State Command, Ikeja, Lagos confirmed this while they were paraded alongside other suspected criminals.

The police boss said that the command received information from the members of the public about the activities of the suspects operating during rush hours often characterised by slow traffic or gridlock. He said that based on the reports, the command deployed undercover operatives assisted by the FSARS team from Ladipo annex to fish out the robbers at Charity and Oshodi bus stops. The move paid off and they were arrested.

CP Edgal said that the police recovered toy guns which they used for their operations. However, he said that not minding that the guns were not real ones, that the police will still charge them for armed robbery and unlawful possession of firearms.

He said that the suspects were culpable because of the impression they created in the minds of their victims with the toy pistols as unlawful force would have been used on them if they refused to part with their valuables.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the suspects confessed to the crimes but stated that they were non violent robbers that shed no blood as a group.