Lagos police apprehend ‘one-chance’ suspect, recover 51 stolen phones

The Police Command in Lagos State has apprehended a suspect linked to a notorious ‘one chance’ robbery syndicate operating within the state and recovered 51 mobile phones suspected to be proceeds of criminal activities.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Tijani, disclosed this on Tuesday while briefing journalists at the Command Headquarters in Ikeja.

He said the suspect was apprehended during an intelligence-led operation targeting criminal networks involved in robbing unsuspecting commuters across Lagos.

Tijani said that preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect acquired a vehicle specifically for use in carrying out “one chance” operations, a criminal practice in which victims were robbed inside commercial vehicles.

“Investigations revealed that the gang operated under the coordination of a financier who rented vehicles for members of the syndicate and assigned them to various locations where they carry out their criminal activities.

“The arrested suspect provided the police with details about the alleged mastermind, whom police operatives are currently tracking.

“He informed us that there is a godfather behind the operation who provides vehicles and coordinates their activities.

“We are closing in on him and I am confident that he will soon be apprehended,” the commissioner said.

The police boss said that the operatives recovered 51 different mobile phones from the suspect, believed to be proceeds of previous robberies.

Tijani said the recovery of the phones marked a significant breakthrough in ongoing efforts to dismantle the syndicate and curb street-level robbery across the state.

According to him, efforts are ongoing to recover the vehicle used in the operations and to apprehend other members of the gang still at large.

Tijani assured residents that the command would continue to intensify intelligence-led policing and urged members of the public to provide timely information that could assist security agencies in combating crime.

He noted that all suspects would be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted in accordance with the law once investigations are concluded.