Posted by Olalekan Adetayo on
Seven armed robbery suspects, on Tuesday, hijacked a Kano-bound luxury bus in Lagos, dispossessing all the passengers on board of their valuables.
Seven armed robbery suspects, on Tuesday, hijacked a Kano-bound luxury bus in Lagos, dispossessing all the passengers on board of their valuables.
The bus, marked XJ 890 APP, said to belong to Ekwos Associates Limited, reportedly loaded the passengers at Alaba Rago area of Okokomaiko before the armed men surfaced from nowhere and forced the driver to make a detour.
But on Tuesday, policemen at Okokomaiko received a report that the bus was sighted at Ketu Bus Stop, on Badagry Expressway where the suspected robbers apparently abandoned it.
Anti-robbery policemen from the station quickly visited the scene and removed the vehicle to their station.
When a thorough search was conducted on the bus, two locally-made pistols and two rounds of live ammunition were found concealed in two leather sandals.
The police in Lagos are investigating what forced the suspected robbers to abandon the bus with their arms and ammunition after the operation.
Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Olubode Ojajuni, a deputy superintendent of police, confirmed the incident to our correspondent on Thursday.
Meanwhile, a young commercial bus conductor was beaten to death on Tuesday by a mob at Ikorodu.
Trouble allegedly started when a commercial Volkswagen bus, marked XK 941 GGE, driven by his boss, Mr. Olayide Olumide, ran over an unidentified commercial motorcyclist at Benson Street, Ikorodu.
Sensing danger, the driver reportedly sped off the scene.
In retaliation, other motorcyclists pursued the bus and damaged its windscreen and injured the conductor on the head.
Though sympathisers quickly rushed the conductor to the hospital, our correspondent gathered that he died shortly after he got there.
Ojajuni confirmed the incident, saying that investigations into the case had begun.
The Punch, Friday, July 01, 2005