Lagos Police Kill 2 Suspected Robbers, Arrest 1 at Ijora-Badia

The Lagos State Police Command says its operatives killed two suspected armed robbers and arrested a third during an exchange of gunfire at Ijora-Badia.

 

The Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Tijani, gave the account on Wednesday at a news briefing at the command headquarters in Ikeja.

 

According to the commissioner, operatives of the command's Anti-Kidnapping Unit, acting on what he described as actionable intelligence, traced a suspected armed robbery gang to its hideout along Gasikia Road, Ijora-Badia, at about 10 p.m. on Sunday.

 

He said the suspects allegedly opened fire on the officers as soon as they saw them, leading to a gun duel in which two of them were "neutralised".

 

One suspect escaped, while a 26-year-old suspect was arrested, Tijani said.

 

The commissioner said the police recovered two Beretta pistols and four rounds of live 9mm ammunition from the scene.

 

He said preliminary investigation showed the gang was preparing to carry out a robbery when the police moved in.

 

Tijani said the arrested suspect was helping the police with information on the gang's activities.

 

"The suspect is still with us and is still giving useful information as to what they have been doing.

 

"The suspect had allegedly confessed to participating in several robbery operations within the state," he said.

 

He added, however, that the command was still investigating the claims to establish the suspect's level of involvement in previous robbery incidents.

 

According to the commissioner, efforts are ongoing to arrest the suspect who fled and to recover other weapons the gang allegedly used.

 

He assured residents that the command would sustain intelligence-led operations aimed at dismantling criminal gangs and stopping them from carrying out attacks in the state.

 

Speaking to journalists during interrogation, the arrested suspect claimed he joined the gang earlier in the week and had taken part in three operations.

 

He said the gang had four members and usually carried two firearms on operations, but claimed he did not carry a weapon himself.

 

According to him, gang members sometimes gave him between N50,000 and N250,000 after operations.

 

He expressed regret over his involvement and promised to quit crime.

 

"I want to change. I swear to Almighty God, I will change. This kind of life does not serve me," he said.