13th September, 2023
By Paul Iyoghojie
Operatives of the Nigeria Police Special Weapons And Tactical Team, SWAT at Adeniji Adele Road, Lagos Island have tracked and arrested three robbery suspects in Sokoto State who allegedly robbed a truck driver of N100m worth of goods at gunpoint along the Lagos-Ore Expressway and escaped.
Police alleged that the incident occurred in August 2023 when the Complainant, Divine Osakwe hired a truck with registration No. JJJ 566 YA and loaded electronics, 20 bags of rice, 50 bags of maize, bed and generators inside, all valued at N100m for onward delivery to a customer in Benin City, Edo State.
Police alleged that the three suspects, Mohammed Tukur Abdullahi, 60, Garuba Lawal, 42 and Akinsimi Shina, 38 attacked the driver of the truck with arms along the Lagos-Ore Expressway, hijacked the truck with the goods and escaped.
Police further alleged that the suspects later offloaded the goods into another truck and abandoned the empty truck at J4 Area along the Benin-Ore Expressway.
Police said that following the incident, the complainant petitioned the Inspector General of Police, IGP, who referred the case to the SWAT Command, Lagos for detailed investigation.
Cracks detectives tracked the fleeing suspects to Ondo and Sokoto State, arrested and brought them back to Lagos SWAT Command.
The suspects were charged before the Tinubu Magistrate’s Court on a three-count charge bordering on robbery and stealing.
Police counsel, Ben Ekundayo told the court that the defendants robbed the driver of the truck with the goods with arms and escaped before they were tracked and arrested in Ondo and Sokoto State.
Ekundayo said the offences, the defendants committed were punishable under Sections 296 and 3 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges, and the presiding Magistrate, E. O. Ogunkanmi granted them N5m bail each with two sureties each in like sum.
Ogunkanmi adjourned the case and ordered that the defendants be detained at the Ikoyi Correctional Facility till they perfected the bail conditions.