Police Arrests Soldier & Fake Naval Personnel For Robbery In Lagos(Photo)

Four fake naval personnel and a soldier were weekend

arrested by Lagos state Police command for alleged armed

robbery.

The suspects who were all in military attires were arrested

by youths at Ilado area of Lagos state while they were

fleeing in a canoe after escaping from police detention and

handed over to Ilado Police post, near the Ajakoyi Beach.

Handed over to SARS

They were later handed over to the Special Anti Robbery

Squad, SARS, of the Lagos State Police Command, Ikeja. A

resident, Wasiu Omojola, who narrated the incident to

Vanguard said:

‘“We are predominantly fishermen but some of us do oil

business. The military personnel used to come to extort

money from us daily.

We didn’t even know that they were fake officers. They

would come in military uniform. Their leader whom we

later realized is an Army Sergeant would dress as an Army

Lieutenant Commander.

He would gather us and warn that the Army High

Command had sent him on a special duty.

“He told us that his group was on Joint Military operation.

He then instructed us to contribute N2 millon for his boss.

We were able to raise N500,000.

The following day, they prevented us from doing our job,

so we had to contribute another N300,000.They still said it

was not yet okay with them.

Wasiu Omojola added: “I don’t know how one of us

reported the development to Army authorities who said

that they didn’t send any team for joint military patrol to

our area. When we got the information, we now mobilized

against the self- acclaimed joint military patrol.

Extortion and arrest

“When they arrived the following day to resume their

extortion, we arrested them. They did not believe it when

we took them to the Police.

We were later informed by the same Police that the

suspects escaped from their cell, so we mobilized again

and gave them a hot chase. We later arrested them and

brought them to SARS.”

Police sources said the Nigerian Army has confirmed that

the man who claimed to be a Lieutenant is a Sergeant.

“The Army has taken him for court-martial but we have

written to the Army that after the court – martial, the man

should be brought back to the Police for proper

prosecution.”

Susupect speaks

One of the suspects simply identified as Oche said: “Well,

there is no job in the country. My friend who is an Army

Sergeant brought the idea of going to collect money from

those doing illegal oil businesses.

The sergeant provided me with the uniform that I am

putting on now. I don’t know about others. Sergeant is the

one sharing our loot. I got N50,000 three times but I could

not believe it when we were arrested.

“It is true, we escaped from Police cell. We broke through

the window protectors. It was while we were escaping

through the waterside that we were re-arrested and

handed over to SARS.”

Commissioner of Police, Lagos State command, Mr. Fatai

Owoseni, said the suspects were rescued from the hands of

an angry mob that attempted to lynch them.

“They were robbing people of their belongings. The people

were attempting to lynch them when the Police stormed

the place and rescued them. The sum of N380,000 was

recovered from the suspect.”

Source: Vanguard