The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) announced that two notorious “one chance” robbers were arrested and handed over to police officers at Ilasan police station in Lagos.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the spokesperson for LASTMA, Taofiq Adebayo, said a commercial vehicle used for the robbery operation at the Lekki-Ajah area of the state was also impounded and handed over to the state police.
“Operatives of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) early morning Sunday arrested two notorious suspected ‘one-chance’ armed robbery gang at Ikate, Lekki-Ajah area of Lagos,” the statement said in part.
Mr Adebayo added that the general manager of LASTMA, Bolaji Oreagba, stated that the armed robbers were apprehended by patrol team of the agency while on duty in the Lekki-Ajah area of the state.
He explained that traffic patrol officers heard passengers raising an alarm over the robbery operation and chased after the vehicle until it was “blocked by another car” at Ikate.
“The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr Bolaji Oreagba disclosed that they were nabbed by the patrol team of the Agency while on duty monitoring and controlling traffic around Lekki-Ajah axis of the State.
“Our officials while on traffic patrol heard passengers with loud voice shouting Thieves! Thieves! inside an unpainted T4 commercial bus (AAA 750 XX), while trying to stop the driver he drove dangerously and our men pursued them with LASTMA patrol vehicle down to Ikate where they were blocked by another pathfinder car belonging to a good samaritan,” the statement said further.
He explained that two suspects were arrested and two suspects escaped with the P.O.S used to withdraw money from passengers who boarded the commercial bus.
“The two arrested suspects with the recovered unpainted T4 commercial bus were later handed over to R.R.S personnel who were on pin-down at Chisco, along Lekki- Ajah.
“They were all later moved down to Ilasan Police Station for further investigations,” he further said.
The general manager of LASTMA advised residents to always ensure they board commercial vehicles at designated parks and remain vigilant when boarding commercial vehicles.
While narrating his ordeal to the agency, Christophe Omukoro, a passenger rescued from the vehicle said he boarded the bus at Alfa-Beach heading towards Ikate.
He disclosed that the robbers were four in number operating a P.O.S machine to withdraw money from passengers’ bank accounts.
Mr Omukoro said they called for help and shouted “thieves! thieves!! thieves!!!” but the robbers still carted away their phones and other valuables belongings of the passengers.