Three men suspected of belonging to a criminal gang involved in car theft and armed robbery have been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command.
The suspects, Faruk Rasheed, 20, Olamilekan Ademola, 28, and Abidemi Oluwawemo, 21, were apprehended around Alakuko following intelligence received by police operatives.
The command said the suspects were allegedly involved in attacks on residents, with car snatching and the theft of valuables among their reported activities.
Lagos Police spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebesi, announced the development in a statement on Thursday, explaining that the arrests were part of ongoing operations aimed at curbing violent crimes in the state.
She said initial investigations had provided information about the alleged activities of the suspects.
“preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects allegedly specialised in car snatching and robbing innocent citizens of their valuables.”
Following the arrests, police operatives searched the suspects and recovered three locally manufactured firearms as well as eight rounds of ammunition.
According to the police, the recovered weapons comprised two locally made pistols containing five cartridges and a locally made revolver carrying three rounds of 9mm ammunition.
The command stated, “Two locally made pistols loaded with five cartridges and one locally made revolver pistol loaded with three rounds of 9mm live ammunition” were recovered.
Police said the investigation had not been concluded, adding that efforts were underway to track down other suspected members of the group.
The command has yet to disclose the specific robbery or carjacking cases allegedly connected to the three men. It also did not state how many vehicles may have been stolen or identify any alleged victims.
The circumstances and exact timing of the arrests were not disclosed, while it was also unclear whether the suspects had been taken before a court.
Attempts to obtain the suspects’ responses to the allegations were unsuccessful.
Reacting to the arrests, the state Commissioner of Police, CP Tijani Fatai, said the command would continue its operations against organised criminal groups in Lagos.
Fatai said the command remained committed to “dismantling criminal networks and ensuring the safety and security of residents across Lagos State.”
He called on residents to assist the police by providing timely information about suspicious movements or activities and using the command’s emergency channels when immediate police intervention is required.
