22nd March, 2024
Police have confirmed the arrest of nine members of a kidnapping gang allegedly terrorizing Lekki-Ajah axis of Lagos State after a gun battle with the suspects in their hideout.
The suspects were arrested by Mobile policemen operatives of MOPOL 20, Ikeja and Maroko Police Division after a shootout that lasted hours around one of the suspects’ hideouts in the Lekki-Ajah axis of the state, Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumiyiwa Adejobi, said in a statement on Friday.
Adejobi added that the suspects were members of a notorious gang of kidnappers operating in the Lekki-Ajah axis.
He said that their arrest followed a series of complaints from members of the public to the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Mr Adegoke Fayoade, over an upsurge in kidnapping along the Lekki-Ajah axis.
Adejobi said that during the raid, three Point of Sale (POS) machines, allegedly used for the collection of ransom money, and 10 mobile phones were recovered from the suspects.
He said over the past weeks, the operations had recorded several achievements.
“In a more recent happening, on March 17, 2024, at about 10:30 p.m., the Commander PMF 20, Ikeja, Lagos, led a joint team of mobile policemen and officers from Maroko Division to a suspected den of kidnappers where they arrested nine suspected kidnappers.
“Three of their victims were also rescued, while 10 mobile phones and two POS machines were recovered from the suspects,” he said.
The Force spokesperson said that in a similar occurrence, on March 16, 2024, police operatives of the Badagry Divisional Headquarters arrested one Abass, suspected to be the leader of a cult gang allegedly involved in the shooting of one Adeniyi Adebanjo, on Feb. 26, 2024.
He said that upon his arrest, the suspect confessed to the crime and admitted to being the leader of a six-man cult gang operating in Badagry area of Lagos state.
(NAN)