MICHAEL AKINOLA
Police operatives from the Commissioner of Police Tactical Squad in Lagos State have arrested two suspected armed robbers operating with cutlass after failed attempts to cut off a victim’s hand to rob him of a motorcycle during an operation.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the suspects, Ibrahim Rasaq, 25, Rafiu Shittu, 32, were arrested on 3rd November, 2025, at about 0500hrs, at Ikerele Street, Ilogbo Eremi Lagos, where they attempted to rob a victim, Mr. Nnachi Ukpai of his Bajaj motorcycle.
They were said to have intercepted the victim and used the cutlass to cut off his hand in order to rob him of the motorcycle. But they missed the target and inflicted injury on the victim’s left hand.
The matter was reported to the Police. The operatives moved into action, eventually arrested the suspects and detained them at the Command for interrogation while others were said to be at large.
After rounds of interrogation, the Police found them culpable and charged them before the Ogba Magistrate Court for the alleged offence, which attracts several years of imprisonment.
The charges read:
“That you, Ibrahim Rasaq ‘m’ and Rafiu Shittu ‘m’ on the 3rd day of November, 2025 at about 0500hrs, at Ikerele Street, Ilogbo Eremi Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: Attempted armed robbery and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 299 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”
COUNT II:”That you, Ibrahim Rasaq ‘m’ and Rafiu Shittu ‘m’ on the same date, time and place, in the aforesaid Magisterial District, whilst armed with cutlass, did attempt to rob one Mr. Nnachi Ukpa ‘m’ of his Bajaj motorcycle and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 298(1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.”
COUNT III:”That you, Ibrahim Rasaq ‘m’ and Rafiu Shittu ‘m’ on the same date, time and place, in the aforesaid Magisterial District, did unlawfully cause grievous harm to one Mr. Nnachi Ukpai ‘m’ by stabbing his left hand with a cutlass and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 245 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.”
However, the Court did not take their plea after the prosecutor, Supol Philip Ademigbuji, asked the Court to refer the matter to the DPP for legal advice because of the nature of the alleged offence.
The Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. O. Kusanu, ordered their remand in custody at the correctional center at Kirikiri town, Lagos, pending the outcome of the DPP’s advice and directed the prosecutor to duplicate the file and send it to the DPP for legal advice.
The matter was adjourned for mention for the report of the DPP’s advice to be available, which will determine if the matter will be transferred to the High Court or not over jurisdiction.