Police arrest 5 trans-border robbers in Lagos

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested five members of a nineman gang of trans-border robbers. The suspected robbers, led by a 33-yearold Cameroonian, Ahmed Ibrahim, were reportedly arrested by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) while fleeing into Lagos after allegedly robbing an Ogun State based haulage company’s warehouse.

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, while parading the suspects yesterday at the state command, stated that they were intercepted at Toll Gate border of Lagos and Ogun State by a patrol team of Rapid Response Squad stationed in the area. They were chased by the team when they refused to stop before they later halted at Meiran Junction, Lagos.

Apart from Ibrahim, four other members of the gang also arrested were, Kelechi Nebu (30), Ndueso Sunday (45), Tochukwu Egemuka (33) and Obinna Oforkaja (30).

Items recovered from the suspects included: one Volvo truck, 13 unit of truck tyres, 1 refrigerator, 26 gallons of 4 litre engine oil, 24 gallons of 25 litres of engine oil, two batteries, assorted charms, one cutlass and two knives.

The haulage company’s security guard, Kenny Peters, told journalists that he was on duty when the suspects held him. “They wanted to shoot me first but one of them cautioned them that it won’t hurt me. They cut me with cutlass on my forehead and beat me with all manners of rods including truck wheel spanners. They tied my hands to the back and carried me to one fence, thinking that I was dead.

“They looted the company’s store and were set to go when I woke up. I hung on to the back of the truck from Dalemo, Sango Ogun State to Toll Gate, where I saw RRS Team. I alerted them and they chased the truck to Meiran Junction, where they were forced to stop. Four of them fled while five were arrested.”

According to sources within the company, the leader of the gang, Ibrahim, was the brother of the haulage firm’s former security guard.

Police said the suspects would be charged to court upon conclusion of investigation while efforts are ongoing to arrest other members of the gang.