A trail of stolen vehicles, a traditional ruler’s missing bag and alleged robbery operations stretching across states has led detectives in Lagos to three suspects accused of belonging to a robbery gang linked to valuables worth about ₦50 million.
The Lagos State Police Command said the suspects, aged between 26 and 32, were arrested at different locations in Lagos following what it described as actionable intelligence gathered by operatives of its Anti-Kidnapping Unit.
The arrests, according to the Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani, have opened a wider investigation into a series of alleged robbery operations, including incidents along the Ife Expressway in Osun State on August 23 and September 30.
Briefing journalists at the command headquarters in Ikeja on Wednesday, Tijani said the suspects were allegedly involved in the snatching of about five vehicles during the operations, while valuables estimated at ₦50 million were reportedly stolen.
The police commissioner also linked the suspects to the robbery of a notable traditional ruler in Ondo State, adding that detectives had recovered a Toyota van with registration number BDJ 180 AJ, registered in Oyo State.
According to Tijani, the suspects had made confessional statements and were cooperating with investigators in efforts to recover other stolen vehicles, arrest additional members of the alleged gang and recover weapons believed to have been used during the operations.
But behind the police account of the arrests is the curious story of one of the suspects, a 32-year-old ex-convict who told investigators that he became involved in the gang because he needed money to start a business.
The suspect, who said he previously dealt in machine spare parts, reportedly admitted participating in the theft of a bag belonging to the traditional ruler.
He explained that a gang member had taken him to a location where they encountered the traditional ruler’s vehicle parked by the roadside while they were returning to Lagos after an earlier operation.
According to his account, the gang member allegedly took the king’s bag and placed it in their vehicle before they continued their journey.
The suspect claimed he was later dropped off in Lagos and did not know that the bag containing the traditional ruler’s money was inside the vehicle until police officers informed him following his arrest.
“I did not know that such a thing was inside the motor. It was when the police told me that I discovered that the king’s money was inside,” he said.
His arrest, he said, followed police efforts to track the gang.
The suspect, who had previously served a prison term, expressed regret over his involvement and vowed not to return to robbery.
“I will not try this thing again in my life. I just did it because I was looking for a little money to start a business,” he said.
For the police, however, the case is far from closed. Tijani said investigation was continuing to determine the full extent of the suspects’ involvement, recover more stolen vehicles and trace the weapons allegedly used by the gang.
The arrests have consequently turned what initially appeared to be separate robbery incidents into a broader investigation stretching from Lagos to Osun and Ondo, with detectives now working to establish the identities and roles of other suspected members of the alleged syndicate.
