Policemen reject N500,000 bribe offered by robbers to evade arrest

An attempt by a robbery gang that specialized in vandalizing construction materials used for the ongoing repairs of the Mile-Two /Badagry expressway, Lagos to bribe policemen with N500,000, in order to evade arrest has failed, following the arrest of five suspected members of the gang.

The suspects who drove in a Ford bus with plate number FST 679 XZ, were intercepted by policemen attached to Area ‘E’ Command, Festac, at the early hours of Saturday, last week, between Volks Bus Stop and Iyana Iba.

The vehicle was discovered to be conveying some iron rods. When asked where they got the rods from and where they were conveying them to, they could not give the policemen a satisfactory reply.

In the process, they were alleged to have offered N500,000 to the policemen to allow them leave. But the policemen insisted on taking them to the station, at the end of which the rods were discovered to be property of China Construction Engineering Company, CCEC.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, who confirmed the arrest, said Management of CCEC who was contacted by the police identified the stolen items as the company’s

Items recovered from the suspects, according to Adejobi, were “ some pieces of 25mm iron rods, one Nozzle, one gas cylinder and Ford bus.

He said, “ The Commissioner of Police, CP Hakeem Odumosu, has ordered that the matter be thoroughly investigated and the suspects be charged to court as soon as possible”

In a related development, two suspected members of a separate gang were arrested yesterday by policemen attached to Sagamu road division in Ikorodu area of Lagos.

The duo of Awosika Kehinde, 24 and Olatilewa Ayomide, 18, were apprehended while allegedly operating in their operational motorcycle. Their modus Operandi as gathered, included accosting victims with guns and dispossessing them of their valuables.

However, during interrogation, Adejobi said “ it was revealed that the suspects were using a dummy Beretta pistol to scare their victims anytime they were operating, particularly in the traffic. Assorted charms were also recovered from them. They are giving useful information to assist the police in the course of their investigation. The Commissioner of Police has also directed that the suspects be transferred to the Command Special Squad for thorough investigation”.