Police arrest suspected armed robber, fake policeman in Lagos

Police operatives attached to Itire Division in Lagos have arrested a suspected armed robber in Surulere area of the state.

Lagos State Police Command Spokesman, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said in a statement that the suspect, one Samuel Ayooluwa, 24, was arrested at about 9.40p.m. on Thursday at No 54, Olatilewa Street, Lawanson, Surulere, Lagos.

Adejobi said police operatives on routine patrol around the area had responded to a distress call from one of the shop owners at the address before the suspect was arrested.

The PPRO said the complaint was that three armed men on motorcycle attacked customers in the shop and dispossessed them of their belongings.

“The police, who raced to the scene, gave the suspects a hot chase and eventually arrested one of them, Samuel, while the other two escaped.

“Items recovered from him included two locally-made pistols, three live cartridges, three expended cartridges and two mobile phones,” he said.

In another development, the police operatives attached to Orile Division in Lagos also arrested a fake police man, one Udu Augustine, 39.

Adejobi said the police operatives stopped his motorcycle at Orile Bus Stop, and the suspect introduced himself as a police officer to them.

“The operatives suspected him and put some questions to him but he could not provide any satisfactory answer. Hence, he was arrested in possession of a police warrant card.

“After the arrest, he was taken to his house, where one police camouflage T-shirt, one face cap and some police accoutrements were recovered from him,” he said.

Adejobi added that the Commissioner of Police, Lagos state, CP Hakeem Odumosu, has ordered that the suspects be transferred to the command’s Special Squad for thorough investigation and possible apprehension of the fleeing suspects.

“The police boss, however, directed all the Divisional Police Officers across the state to be on the lookout for and arrest impersonators who are on the prowl as their activities dent the image of the Nigeria Police Force,” he said.