By Akanimo Sampson
Five persons have landed in the Police net for allegedly sabotaging ongoing construction works on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
They were allegedly nabbed by some eagle eyes police operatives while carting away a large quantity of iron rods from a construction site.
In a seeming spirited attempt to escape the wrath of the law, the suspects offered the policemen N500,000 for kola to drop the matter.
Apparently not willing to play ball, the policemen arrested the five suspects and are being held by detectives who are investigating the matter.
The allegedly stolen iron rods belong to one of the construction companies handling the rehabilitation of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.
A spokesman for the police in Lagos State, Muyiwa Adejobi, who has confirmed the arrest of the five suspects, also pointed out that two suspected armed robbers were arrested with a “dummy gun.”
Adejobi said on Tuesday, “police operatives attached to Area E Command, Festac Lagos State, on April 11, 2021, at about 3 am, accosted five suspects in a Ford Bus with Reg. Number FST 679 XZ, with some 25mm iron rods, property of China Construction Engineering Company (CCEC) between Volks Bus Stop and Iyana Iba, Lagos State.
”The suspects, when arrested by the police operatives, were alleged to have offered a bribe of N500,000 to the police operatives who rejected the offer and went ahead to arrest them with the stolen iron rods.”
”The suspects include Lawal Saheed, m, 40, Taofeek Adenigba, m, 43, Ope Olowolayemo, m, 28, Azeez Jamie, m, 41 and Omotayo Adewale, m, 34.”
The police also said “the items recovered from them are some pieces of 25mm iron rods, one nozzle, one gas cylinder and Ford Bus with Reg. No. FST 697 XZ. The management of CCEC has been contacted by the police and identified the stolen items to be their property.”
Lagos State Police Commissioner, Hakeem Odumosu, ordered that the matter be thoroughly investigated and the suspects are charged to court as soon as possible.
“In the same vein, the police operatives attached to Sagamu Road Division of Ikorodu, Lagos, on April 12, 2021, at about 1245pm, arrested two (2) suspects, Awosika Kehinde, m, 24 and Olatilewa Ayomide, m, 18, at Sabo area of Ikorodu,” the Lagos police also stated.
According to the police, “the suspects were accosted by the police on a motorcycle in Sabo area of Ikorodu.”
”After a preliminary investigation, it was revealed that the suspects were using the dummy gun to scare their victims anytime they were on robbery operation, particularly in the traffic. They are giving useful information to assist the police in the course of their investigation,” the police said.
Items recovered from them include one dummy beretta pistol and some assorted charms.
The police chief has also directed that the suspects be transferred to the Command Special Squad for a thorough investigation.
