Panic As Traffic Robbers Take Over Roads In Lagos

MICHAEL AKINOLA

This may not be the best of times for Police operatives in Lagos State Command as traffic robbers dare and continue to have their ways on various major roads in the State.

P M.EXPRESS reports that while the Police is making every efforts to control traffic robbers in the State, the situation has continued to increase, which have put some Police officers in various Area Commands and Divisions in panic mood.

The Police PPRO, CSP Muyiwa Adejobi, disclosed that for the past three months, the Police have arrested more than 127 traffic robbers across the State, yet their operation on various roads have continued despite the arrest of members.

However, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Hakeem Odumosu, has again reassured Lagosians that robbery in traffic will soon fizzle out and become history in the state as the Lagos State Police Command has deployed its human and material resources to tackle the menace headlong.

The Police boss, while giving the assurance in his Ikeja office, confirmed the arrest of over 127 suspected traffic robbers at various locations within Lagos State from March, 2021 till date; noting that the Command has been fighting robbery in traffic relentlessly, even before the recent donation of crime fighting equipment and communication gadgets to the Command by the Lagos State Government. 

He said the fight against the menace will be intensified and more effective with the new equipment from the Lagos State Government.

CP Odumosu asserted that robbery in traffic has drastically reduced based on the available empirical figure of the isolated cases of robbery in traffic, which is not unconnected with the Command’s renewed anti crime strategies being emplaced.
Odumosu has ordered that the combat training, musketry and range practice for Police officers to commence the training of the Police operatives attached to the newly formed Anti Traffic Robbery Squad to tackle the menace of robbery in traffic in Lagos State.

He strongly attributed successes recorded in the fight against crimes and criminality in the state to training and re-training of Police officers, men and constructive collaboration with the public and other security agencies in the state.

In the same vein, operatives of the Rapid Response Squad, RRS, again nabbed two (2) notorious suspected robbers along Ikorodu Road, Lagos on 15th June, 2021.
The two (2) suspects are Tunde Ramoni, m, 21 and Adepoju Samuel, m, 34.
Tunde Ramoni, who hails from Ibadan, Oyo State, was arrested at Ojota, while Adepoju Samuel, who hails Ogbomosho, Oyo State, was caught in the act while robbing a motorist with unregistered motorcycle (Okada) around Tipper area, Ketu, Lagos State.

During the course of investigation, it was revealed that Tunde Ramoni was once arrested with a gang of ‘Pick Pocketers’ in 2019 and was convicted to 6 months imprisonment.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Hakeem Odumosu, has directed that the 2 suspects be transferred to the Command’s Special Squad, Ikeja, for proper investigation.

Similarly, Police operatives attached to Apapa Division of the Lagos State Police Command, today Wednesday 16th June, 2021, arrested one Ibrahim Abidun, m, 26, at Agbomalu Apapa, Lagos State, with two (2) locally-made pistols.
Other items recovered from him include two (2) live cartridges, assorted charms and weeds suspected to be Indian hemp.The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, has ordered that the suspect be transferred to the Command’s Special Squad, Ikeja, for proper investigation and possible prosecution.

While reiterating the Command’s zero tolerance for crimes and social vices in Lagos State, CP Hakeem Odumosu, ordered the Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers and tactical Commanders to redouble their efforts in securing public space across the length and breadth of Lagos State.