Police operatives in Lagos have arrested 13 suspected traffic robbers for attacking residents in different parts of the state.
The suspects, Ismail Tosin, 23, Lukman Nojeem, 18, Segun Ade, 20, Rafiu Jamiu, 29, Lateef Yusuf, 28, Mabinuola Wale, 20, Taiwo Hazan, 19, Adeleke Oluwasegun, 17, Adeniji Saliu, 18, Bamidele Oluwatobi, 33, Sodiq Sanni, 32, and Gabriel Paul Friday, 21 were arrested between June 27 and August 13 at Oshodi, Ikorodu and Badagry Expressway.
According to the police, the first nine suspects were seen around Cappa/Nitel in Oshodi and suspected to have sinister motives.
Detectives from Mushin division were said to have been deployed to the location where nine of the hoodlums were caught with a locally made rifle that had the inscription S.S.C, a long jack knife and cutlasses recovered from them.
“The gang is responsible for series of robberies mostly in traffic around CAPPA-Oshodi and environs. On July 19, at about 10:10am, policemen on stop and search duty at Owutu, Ikorodu, intercepted a taxi with two passengers reasonably suspected to be traffic robbers.
“Upon sighting the police, the suspects jumped out and took to their heels. They were given a hot chase and eventually arrested. One locally made single barrel gun with five live cartridges, one battle-axe and a knife were recovered from them. “They confessed to be members of a confraternity terrorising Ikorodu and environs.
“On June 27, at about 6am, information was also received from a reliable source that some group of armed robbers were sighted at MTN Bus Stop along Lagos-Badagry Expressway robbing unsuspecting victims of their valuables.
“Upon the receipt of the information, operatives from Morogbo Division and SARS were mobilised to the scene. On sighting the operatives, the armed robbers scampered to different direction to avoid arrest but were given a manhunt.
“In the process, one of the robbers named Gabriel Paul Friday, 21, was arrested while others escaped. He was immediately searched and a cut to size locally made pistol with five live cartridges were recovered from him. The suspects will be charged to court as soon as the investigation is completed,” said the police.