Victim sights robbers at restaurant, raises the alarm

The police in Lagos State have arrested two suspected robbers, Emanuel Anyanwu and Kennedy Ujagbor, who allegedly robbed some people in the Oshodi area of the state.

Our correspondent gathered that 39-year-old Anyanwu, an ex-convict, and Ujagbor, 42, were apprehended on Wednesday after one of their victims, identified only as Bolaji, saw them at a restaurant in the Cele bus stop area along the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway.

It was learnt that Bolaji identified the two as his attackers and raised the alarm, which brought policemen attached to the Rapid Response Squad, Alausa, to the scene.

The suspects were thereafter arrested.

A police source said Bolaji was robbed by the suspects in the Oshodi area on Tuesday, and his bag containing some money was snatched.

He added that the victim had gone to the Cele area on Wednesday and had run into the robbers at a restaurant.

Bolaji said the robbers had pretended to be strangers who lost their way.

He said, “I was on my way to Sango in Ogun State, when they stopped me in Oshodi. They asked me if I knew a particular address and I told them that I was a stranger in that area.

“As I made to leave them, one of them grabbed my bag from behind and took to his heels. The second one also fled.

“I ran after them, but they knew the route more than I did. Before I could call people to assist me to get them, they had escaped.

“In that bag was N7,500, two mobile phones, clothes and other personal effects. I had to discontinue the journey because all I had on me were gone.

 “The following day, I was in Cele and I saw them sipping bottles of drink in a restaurant. I recognised them and I immediately raised the alarm, which attracted a RRS patrol. The policemen thereafter interrogated and arrested them.”

Anyanwu said he and Ujagbor usually posed as foreigners to defraud people.

He said, “We were on the street looking for people to defraud. On Tuesday, we met the man. Our plan was to defraud him, but it did not work out. So, we snatched his bag and ran away. His bag is in Ketu.

“We lie to our victims that we are foreigners with large supplies of mobile phones and stationery. We pretend that we are in search of marketers with enough money to buy the goods. That was how we defrauded those who showed interest.”

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the arrest.

She added that the suspects would be charged to court at the end of investigation.