Police arrest 5 in Lagos over alleged N500,000 bribe

The Area E Police Command, Festac in Lagos, has arrested five persons who allegedly stole construction materials and offered its personnel N500,000 bribe

The Spokesman for the Police Command in Lagos State, Mr Olumuyiwa Adejobi, a Chief Superintendent of Police, confirmed the arrest in a statement on Tuesday.

Adejobi said that the arrest was made on Sunday at about 3 a.m., when the suspects were accosted in a Ford Bus with Reg. No. FST 679 XZ, between Volkswagen Bus Stop and Iyana-Iba, on the Badagry Expressway, conveying some 25mm iron rods.

He said that the suspected stolen property belonged to the China Construction Engineering Company (CCEC).

“The suspects, when arrested by the police, were alleged to have offered a bribe of N500,000, which was rejected and they were arrested with the stolen materials.

“The items recovered from them are lengths of 25mm iron rods, one nozzle, one gas cylinder and Ford Bus with Reg. No. FST 697 XZ.

“The management of CCEC was contacted by the police and identified the stolen items to be their property,” he said.

Adejobi said the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Hakeem Odumosu, has ordered a thorough investigation into the case with a view to charging the suspects to court as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, police operatives attached to the Sagamu Road Division in Ikorodu also arrested two suspected highway robbers using toy guns to operate on a motorcycle at Sabo Area of Ikorodu.

Adejobi said the suspects were arrested on Monday at about 12.45 p.m., while attempting to carry out their operation at Sabo Area of Ikorodu.

The spokesman said preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects were using the toy gun to scare their victims anytime they were on robbery operation, particularly in traffic.

He said items recovered from them include one toy pistol and some assorted charms.

Adejobi said the suspects had been transferred to the Command’s Special Squad for thorough investigation.