Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested three suspected members of a dreaded “one-chance” gang that has been terrorising unsuspecting commuters in the state.
The suspects, identified as 53-year-old Bode Oludayisin, 22-year-old Michael Sowunmi, and 20-year-old David Olawaye, were intercepted by officers of the Ikeja Police Division during a routine patrol along Agege Motor Road after responding to a distress call.
Police spokesperson, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, who confirmed the arrest on Monday, disclosed that Oludayisin, the alleged gang leader, has long been on the command’s wanted list over his role in several violent robbery cases.
“One of the men arrested has been identified as the leader of a notorious group that specialised in robbing passengers inside commercial vehicles,” Hundeyin said.
“They were caught in an unregistered minibus believed to be the same vehicle they used to trap their victims.”
Items recovered from the suspects include a Tecno Spark 20 smartphone belonging to a victim, an axe, two interlock paving stones, heavy rocks suspected to have been used in assaults, and a broken bottle.
Police say these have been registered as exhibits in the ongoing investigation.
According to findings, the gang operated by disguising themselves as passengers inside minibuses, popularly called korope.
They would pick up commuters from busy terminals such as Oshodi, then divert the vehicles to isolated areas where victims were beaten, threatened, and robbed of valuables.
Hundeyin noted that the case has now been handed over to the Command’s Special Squad 1 for deeper investigation and to track down other fleeing members of the syndicate.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in Lagos, CP Olohundare Jimoh, commended the Ikeja Division officers for their swift response, stressing that the breakthrough has helped cripple one of the city’s most persistent robbery networks.