Despite Arrest, Suspected PickPocket Robs RRS Officer During Interrogation

By Chiemelie Ezeobi

Barely hours after he was arrested for pickpocketing, 28-year-old Deji Ayoola, again proved his mettle in the trade by robbing one of the policemen that arrested him.

The suspect was arrested by the operatives of Rapid Response Squad (RRS) for pick-pocketing at the Ojodu Berger area of the state, and when he was taken to the station for interrogation, he again stole money from the police officer .

Unknown to him, another suspect had seen him when he was hiding the money, and immediately alerted the officer that the money she was looking for was with the suspect.

THISDAY gathered that the suspect was  arrested after he was caught pick-pocketing a commuter trying to board a commercial vehicle to the Redemption Camp.

The suspect, a resident of Mowe area of Ogun State, confessed to the crime and blamed devil for it.

He said, “I truly removed the wallet from his (victim) pocket before I was arrested by the policemen. They bundled me to their office immediately. It was the devil who pushed me into the act. I pray to God to forgive me.”

Speaking with the victim over the incident, Ayodele Akerele said, “I collected a sum of N14,500 from Automated Teller Machine (ATM) from a bank at Berger on my way to the Redemption Camp. 

“However, I had no inkling that my money had been removed. It was about the time to pay fare that I discovered my wallet had disappeared.

“In fact, I had even forgotten about the money until the following day, when an operative from RRS called me that my wallet was recovered from a suspect when they nabbed him.

“The policeman added that they found my mobile number inside my wallet which made it easy for them to call me.I was shocked to hear this because I had already lost hope of recovering the money.”

Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Dolapo Badmos,  a Superintendent of Police, said the good people of Lagos State are sleeping with their eyes closed now as the crime rate in the state has drastically reduced. 

The suspect has been transferred to the State Environmental Task Force on Environment for prosecution.