Police Bust 4 Members Of Armed Robbery & Kidnapping Syndicate After Collecting N30m Ransom

MICHAEL AKINOLA 

It was a devastating morning on 18th July, 2025, in Aiyetoro area of Lagos, when the lives of victims, Christian Chikwado, Obi-Oke Godswill, and Yusuf Salami took a negative turn. 

P.M.EXPRESS reports that at about 9am, a group of suspected armed men, including Samson Lawoo, Adams,39 Abiodun Alagolo,33, Sulaimon Ibrahim, 24and Oladimeji Moshood,23 stormed into the area armed with AK-47 rifles, targeted several individuals, stealing valuables like gold chains, phones, laptops, and cash.

They allegedly made off with goods worth millions of Naira and kidnapped Christian and Obi-Oke, demanding a ransom of N5 million from Christian’s family. The victims were released after the ransom was paid via Abu Abel’s account.

The items they made away with included, gold chains worth N7m, phones, laptops worth N20m, cash of $2,200 Dollars and other items worth N3.7m.

The impact on the victims were huge as Christian and Obi-Oke are just recovering from trauma while Yusuf Salami is still dealing with financial losses while members of the community were still in shock on the manner of the operation which was devastating.

However, the matter was reported to the Commissioner of Police Tactical Squad led by SP Banti Adamu. The team tracked the suspects, leveraging on technology and intel. They arrested the four men and recovered some stolen items.

The suspects are now facing charges of conspiracy, armed robbery and kidnapping before the Ogba Magistrate Court under the Criminal Law of the State which attracts several years of imprisonment.

The charges read:

“That you, Samson Lawoo’m’, Adams Abiodun Alagolo ‘m’, Sulaimon Ibrahim ‘m’, Oladimaji Moshood ‘m’ and others now at large, on the 18th day of July, 2025 at about 0900hrs, at Aiyetoro area of Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: Armed robbery and thereby committed an offence punishatle under Section 299 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.”

COUNT II:”That you, Samson Lawoo ‘m’, Adams Abiodun Alagolo ‘m’, Sulaimon Ibrahim ‘m’, Oladimeli Moshood ‘m’ and others now at large, on the same date, time and place, in the aforesaid Magisterial District, whilst armed with AK 47 rifle, did rob gold hand chain valued Seven million Naira (N7,000,000.00), wristwatch valued Twenty thousand Naira (N20,000.00), Spectranet network wifi valued Thirty thousand Naira (N30,000.00) and herbal black soap valued Two hundred and fifty thousand Naira (N250,000.00), tolal value Seven million, three hundred thousand Naira (N7,300,000.00), property of one Christian Chikwado ‘m’ and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 296 and punishable under Section 297(1)(2)(a)(b) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.”

COUNT III:”That you, Samson Lawoo ‘m’, Adams Abiodun Alagolo ‘m’, Sulaimon Ibrahim, m’, Oladimeji Moshood ‘m’ and others now at large, on the same date, time and place, in the aforesaid Magisterial District, whilst armed with AK 47 rifle, did rob iPhone 15 valued One million, three hundred thousand Naira (N1,300,000.00), iPhone 12 promax valued Seven hundred thousand Naira (N700,000.00), HP Laptop valued Three hundred thousand Naira (N300,000.00), Apple laptop computer valued Two million, seven hundred thousand Naira (N2,700,000.00), JBL sound system valued Six hundred and fit by thousand Naira (N650,000.00) and gold jewelries valued Fifteen million Naira (N15,000,000.00), total value Twenty million Naira (N20,000,000.00), property of one Ibi-Oke Godswill ‘m’ and thereby committed an offence Contrary to Section 296 and Punishable under Section 297(1)(2)(a)(b) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.”

COUNT IV:”That you, Samson Lawoo ‘m’, Adams Abiodun Alagolo ‘m’, Sulaimon Ibrahim m’, Oladimeji Moshood ‘m’ and others now at large, on the same date, time and place, in the aforesaid Magisterial District, whilst armed with AK 47 rifle, did rob Itel phone valued Five hundred and twenty thousand Naira (N520,000.00) and cash sum of Two thousand, Two hundred US Dollars ($2,200) equivalent to Three million, one hundred and ninety thousand Naira (N3,190,000.00), total value Three million, seven hundred and ten thousand Naira (N3,710,000.00), property of Yusuf Salami ‘m’ and thereby committed an offence Contrary to Section 296 and Punishable under Section 297(1)(2)(a)(b) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.”

COUNT V:”That you, Samson Lawoo ‘m’, Adams Abiodun Alagolo ‘m’, Sulaiman Ibrahim ‘m, Oladimeji Moshood ‘m’ and others now at large, on the 18th day of July, 2025 at about 0900hrs, at Aiyetoro area of Badagry Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: Kidnapping and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 3 of the Kidnapping Prohibition Law 2017.”

COUNT VI:”That you, Samson Lawoo ‘m’, Adams Abiodun Alagolo ‘m’, Sulaiman Ibrahim, m’, Oladimeji Moshood ‘m’ and others now at large, on the same date, time and place, in the aforesaid Magisterial District, did forcefully take, held, abducted, instilled fear for the purpose of kidnapping through coercion with intent, kidnapped Christian Chikwado ‘m’ and Obi-Oke Godswill ‘m’ demanded and collected ransom of Five million Naira (N5,000,000.00) from the family of the victims Abu Abel through the victim’s Opay account No. 704263515 before they gained freedom and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 2(i)(ii) of the Kidnapping Prohibition Law 2017. ”