Police Go Tough on Armed Robbers, Miscreants, Form Special Squads

Ayodeji Ake

The Lagos State Police Command has reiterated its commitment to continually tackle crimes and criminality in the state, especially armed robbery, robbery in traffic, stealing from persons, ‘One Chance’ and cultism as the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Hakeem Odumosu, injects new policing ideas and strategies into the security system of Lagos State.

The Command had also confirmed arrest of suspected armed robbers with dangerous weapons in some areas in Lagos State.
According to the press release made available to THISDAY, the Commissioner of Police, recently established Information Communication Technologies,Tracking Unit at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba-Lagos, to adopt scientific and forensic measures of unravelling crimes and criminality in Lagos State.

Stated in the release, the unit named D23, headed by a Computer Scientist, SP Kasumu Rilwan, has been instrumental to the landmark achievements and many feats recorded by the command under the watch of CP Odumosu, including the latest arrest of the prime suspect in the alleged murder of Mr. Michael Usifo Ataga, one Chidimma Adaora Ojukwu on Wednesday.
Similarly, the Commissioner of Police recently created two Squads, the Special Squad and the Strike Team, at the Command Headquarters, Ikeja-Lagos, to complement the existing department and units of the command in combating crimes in the state. The new squads, as well, have played many roles in suppressing and keeping criminals and hoodlums at bay in Lagos State.

In addition, Odumosu, in the last three months, has organised combat training, musketry, Baton and Rifle Exercise, martial arts and range practice for officers and men of the command, across board, with a view to improving on their capabilities, command’s anti-crime strategies and services delivery in line with the 12 points agenda of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba.

Equally, the formation of Anti Traffic Robbery Squad and the strategic deployment of the newly delivered equipment by the Lagos State Government to the Lagos State Police Command, is a spirited effort to rejig the command’s action plans in tackling insecurity, especially robbery in traffic, gangsterism and hooliganism and taking charge of the public space towards effective policing of the state.

CP Odumosu, while appraising the anti-crime strategies of the command and commending the Special Squads set up to tackle armed robbery, robbery in traffic and cultism in the command for their series of breakthroughs and feats, on Thursday confirmed the arrest of two suspected armed robbers at Zone C1, Gberigbe, Imota, Ikorodu, Lagos State, on June 22, 2021,at about 1am.

The policemen attached to Imota Division of the Command had responded to a distress call from residents of Zone C1, Gberigbe, Ikorodu, that some armed robbers invaded their community and attacked some residents before two of them were arrested, while others fled.

The suspects include 21 years old Abdulfatai Abiola and 19 years old Quadri Adeniyi, both of no fixed address from Mushin Olosa, Lagos. Items recovered from them include a cutlass, 43 inches plasma TV, One Itel Phone, One Hauwei Phone and assorted charms.

In the same vein, the police operatives attached to Ojo Division of the command, in conjunction with volunteers from Alaba Rago Market, Ojo, on Wednesday, at about 8am, arrested two suspected armed robbers: 22 years old Usman Musa and 21 years old Labisi Jubril.

They were arrested at Iyana Iba Area of Lagos State while robbing one Alli Ibrahim of Ara Junction, Egbeda, Lagos. The stolen items from Mr. Alli Ibrahim were recovered from the suspected armed robbers including one Vivo Phone, one Infinix Hot 9 Phone and one Bluetooth. The duo were caught in the act and have also made confessional statement to that effect.

The Commissioner of Police, while reassuring Lagosians of consistency in the fight against crimes and social vices in Lagos, ordered that the suspects be transferred to the Command’s Special Squad for thorough investigation and possible prosecution. He further directed that the fleeing members of the gangs be arrested by all means and be brought to book accordingly.

He however appealed to the general public to always intimate the Command of any act of lawlessness and criminality in any part of the state as all hands must be on deck to collectively police Lagos State.