18th May, 2012
An attempt by a two-man robbery gang riding a motorcycle to attack motorists in a traffic jam has been foiled by the police in Lagos who arrested one of the suspects, Chinonso Onwubuchi.
The police arrested Chinonso who was armed with a locally-made revolver pistol inside the traffic at about 3.30 p.m. on Wednesday at Akin Adesola/Adeola Odeku junction in Victoria Island, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.
An eyewitness told P.M.NEWS that the two robbers were trying to rob an owner of Toyota Camry inside the traffic jam. But policemen on patrol sighted the suspect who got down from the motorcycle and pointed his gun at the car owner.
But immediately he sighted the police, he took to his heels, shooting into the air to scare away people from attacking him.
The policemen, the source said chased the fleeing suspect to Adeola Odeku Street where he jumped into a residential compound and threw his pistol inside the gutter.
But the robber was later arrested with the help of the security guard at the compound.
The pistol was also recovered from the gutter by the police and youths who assisted the police in pursuing the robber. But his accomplice escaped in their motorcycle.
The incident caused stampede on the busy street as people ran for their lives to avoid being hit by stray bullets.
Our source said that immediately Chinonso was arrested, he started begging the police not to kill him because he took to robbery when he could not secure a job after he graduated from Imo State University, Owerri, in 2009. He claimed he resides at 7, Coker Road, Orile, Lagos.
When P.M.NEWS visited the Bar beach police division yesterday to see the DPO for comment on the incident, he was not around, but a police source confirmed the incident and said the suspect has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Panti, Yaba, Lagos for further investigation.
At the SCID, Panti, Yaba, a police source confirmed that the suspect had been transferred there.
—Paul Iyoghojie