The operatives of FSARS led by their leader, CSP Peter Gana, foiled a robbery operation and arrested suspected armed robbers who invaded the Alaba International market in Lagos and robbed traders in broad daylight.
According to reports, the bandits were a five-man gang who had been terrorizing the area, overpowering the traders and robbing them with all force of arms and violence.
However, while the operation was still on, the police were contacted; they moved to the scene and the robbers escaped with their arms.
One of the suspects named Chima Ejikeme, 28, was arrested and detained at the State Command, Lagos.
This was confirmed by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Imohimi Edgal, at the State Command and was paraded.
The police boss stated that on 18th September, 2018, the police received information that some dare devil armed robbers were robbing traders unchallenged at the market with their weapons. He said that the FSARS stationed at Mowo in Badagry were swiftly mobilized to the scene and when the robbers sighted the operatives, they escaped in different directions but the police succeeded in arresting Ejikeme. When was searched, he was found with cut to size locally made gun with three live cartridges and they were recovered as exhibits.
Edgal said that during interrogation, he confessed that he was a member of five-man robbery gang and belonged to a cult group, Vikings a.k.a. Arobaga, who had been terrorizing Ojo area and its environs. He said that the police have intensified efforts to arrest other members of the gang now at large.
It was gathered that apart from day light robbery, they moved from one shop to another, monitored the sales and thereafter went to such traders to rob them of their money at gun point. Some of the criminals were well known to the traders but the traders were afraid to involve the police because of the safety of their lives and families.
Some of the traders explained that the bandits were brought and initially used during the crises in the market. But when peace returned, the bandits turned to full time armed robbers terrorizing the traders and the environs.
Some were said to have formed different cult groups and shared the market as territories which they had control over. Some of them were still being used as thugs to settle scores among the rich traders within and outside Lagos.
The suspect, Ejikeme, was one of the suspects arrested and paraded by the police at the State Command. The CP said that the suspect will be charged to court after the conclusion of investigations.