By Esther Onyegbula

LAGOS—Operatives of the Rapid Response Squad, RRS, of Lagos State Police Command, weekend, arrested an ex–convict and three traffic robbery suspects for allegedly stealing two mobile phones and a wallet from passers-by in Oshodi area of the state.

The suspects,  Sodiq Hassan, 17; Lanre Makinde, 20, Ahmed Kazeem, 19, and Sunday Oyeniran, 21, were alleged to have connived with others, still at large, to steal a Tecno i-Pad, i-tel 105 phone and wallets from unsuspecting members of the public in traffic gridlock.

One of the suspects, Ahmed Kazeem, was alleged to have snatched an i-tel phone from his victim, Alagbada Jerry, while Sodiq Hassan was reported to have conspired with Awuwa, at large, to also snatch another handset from one Oyebamiji Rasheedat in Oshodi, while Lanre Makinde, was alleged to have stolen the wallet of one Olamide Lookman, also in Oshodi Under Bridge.  Sunday Oyeniran, an ex – convict, who was released on November 14, 2015, was found in possession of a mobile phone snatched by the gang.

Narrating his ordeal to the Police, Alagbada Jerry, a software analyst, working in Ikeja said: “I was descending Oshodi pedestrian bridge with my earphone on. Suddenly, Ahmed Kazeem brushed his shoulder against mine. I noticed the music I was listening to stopped. I tried feeling my pocket to be sure, but my phone was no longer there.

“One of the passers-by who saw him told me Kazeem had stolen my phone, by then he had ran away to the middle of the expressway, looking at me. Unfortunately for him, as we made to chase him, he was prevented from running further only for him to face our direction and that was how we caught him. Upon catching him, he confessed to have stolen my phone but he told us he has dropped it when he was being chased. He added that one Omoga, who was the leader of those that arrested him, was the one who later took the phone from where he dropped it.”