By DEBORAH AKPEDE and BOLAJI ISIAQ

The Police Command in Lagos State, says it detained 80 suspects and recovered firearms, ammunition, six vehicles and other exhibits in various operations across the state from Oct.1 to Oct. 7.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Tijani, disclosed this at a press conference at the command’s headquarters, Ikeja, on Wednesday.

Tijani said the arrests and recoveries were part of the command’s sustained efforts to tackle armed robbery, vandalism, traffic robbery, recruitment frauds and other criminal activities in the state.

He said the command at various operations recovered four Beretta pistols, eight locally made pistols, four live 9mm ammunition, and six vehicles.

Other items are, six mobile phones, six battle axes, four cutlasses, one toy gun, five sacks of illicit drugs, vandalised iron materials and electrical wires.

The CP said operatives arrested nine suspects allegedly involved in vandalism along the Coastal Road and 19 others linked to alleged job recruitment fraud in Tori-Lovi Community, Age-Mowo.

“The 19 suspects, which comprised 17 males and two females, lured unsuspecting members of the public with purported employment opportunities that turned out to be fraudulent,” he said.

Tijani also said 29 suspects were arrested for alleged traffic robbery along the Lekki-Epe axis.

He said operatives arrested a 43-year-old suspected receiver of stolen vehicles at Ishawo Agric, Ikorodu. Four vehicles and seven vehicle number plates were recovered from him.

“The recovered vehicles include: a black Lexus RX 330 Jeep, a 2018 white Toyota Camry, a 1999 white Toyota Camry and a red Ford vehicle.

“The suspect usually receives stolen vehicles from a member of a criminal gang, which comprised three suspected members, who are currently at large,” he said.

Tijani further said that 14 suspects were arrested in Maroko for alleged public nuisances, while an alleged gang leader, was arrested over an attack and robbery of a military officer and his family in Itire.

“The incident occurred on Oct. 4, when hoodlums allegedly blocked the victim’s vehicle, assaulted him and his wife, dispossessed them of N300,000 and vandalised their vehicle,” he said.

The CP also disclosed the arrest of a 28-year-old suspect who allegedly drugged of a female victim and stole three mobile phones valued N3.02 million from her apartment in Ikeja.

“The suspect allegedly gave her juice mixed with a substance suspected to be hard drug before taking the phones,” he said.

Tijani said three other suspects, between the ages of 25 and 38 were arrested over alleged armed robbery and phone-snatching incidents around Westminster and Marine Bridge and three phones were recovered.

He added that operatives also arrested a suspect and recovered a stolen 2015 Toyota Corolla stolen from his uncle in Enugu and brought to Lagos for disposal.

The CP said the command also conducted raids on identified criminal hideouts, that led to the recovery of illicit drugs, cutlasses, battle axes and other items suspected to have been used as weapons.

According to Tijani, the successes reflect the command’s commitment to intelligence-led policing and proactive crime prevention.

He urged the public to continue to provide credible information to support the police operations.

The police boss assured residents that the command would sustain its efforts to dismantle criminal networks, protect lives and public infrastructure.

(NAN)

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