The police in Lagos say they have arrested a five-man robbery gang led by a fake policeman in the Abbatoir, Agege area of the state.
The fake policeman, who identified himself as Joel Ojo, said the guns and the police Identity Card recovered from the gang were given to him by a friend who is a policeman.
He gave the police officer’s name simply as Muhammed, a Chief Superintendent of Police, who he said was based at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
It was learnt that the gang members were arrested on Monday, September 28, at about 11pm.
It was also gathered that the gang members, who were driving a car, were stopped by a police patrol team, and their vehicle searched.
Two pump-action rifles, two pistols with several cartridges, a police I.D. card and a police uniform were said to have been recovered from the car, while the suspects were arrested.
They were thereafter transferred to the state Special Anti-Robbery Squad for further investigation.
Speaking on Tuesday, 58-year-old Ojo, who claimed that he was taking the rifles for repair, said he used the guns for security work, and not robbery.
He added that he was a close friend of the CSP, adding that he got the I.D. card and guns from him when he started the security work.
He said, “We were arrested at about 11pm for driving against the traffic. The guns were in my car and I was taking them for repair. I am not the owner of the guns. I started to use the police I.D. card and the guns early this year. I work as a security man.
“Just assist me. The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations, Kokumo, ordered our arrest.
“We were taken to SARS. As I speak with you, I am having headache and I cannot speak too much. It was one of my police friends who gave me the I.D. card and the guns. He is my friend; he is a CSP. He had also worked as a Divisional Police Officer. He knew I was a security man and he said I should have them. His name is CSP Muhammed attached to the Force headquarters, Abuja.”
A police source said that the gang’s vehicle was impounded at the Abbatoir Police Division, while the police officer, who the gang claimed to know, had been called for questioning.
He said, “They are actually a robbery gang. It was because it was DCP Kokumo who arrested them that the guns were discovered.
“They were driving against the traffic in the Abbatoir area when the DCP’s boys stopped them for a search. In the end, two pump-action rifles and two pistols were found in the vehicle. The DCP immediately ordered that the vehicle be kept in Abbatoir division.
“The police officer they named has been called for questioning. Everybody was shocked that he had a strong link with the robbery gang.”
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, who paraded the gang and other suspects, said the command would not tolerate crimes and criminally-minded people.
“We are working to discipline erring officers, and to ensure that crimes are reduced to the barest minimum. We need maximum cooperation from the general public to to do this,” he added.
Tags
Crime