Two thieves have been arrested by the operatives of the Rapid Response Squad of the Lagos State Police command, after two stolen phones and three sim cards were found in their possession.
While the suspects claimed they picked the phone on the floor, however after it rang in the presence of the policemen, it was discovered that they were stolen phones. The RRS tweeted;
‘They claimed they found them on the floor but when the phones rang and we answered, it was discovered they were stolen in traffic’.
Few months ago also, a phone thief arrested by the operatives of the Rapid Response Squad, RRS, of the Lagos State Police Command confessed that he had stolen over 1,200 from Lagos commuters since he joined a pick-pocketing gang.
The suspect, Femi Solomon, from Ogun State was arrested last Thursday by the operatives in Iyana Oworo, Lagos, after stealing a Samsung phone from a commuter in a bus stampede at the bus stop. According to him, one of his customers, Ismaila, who was about 50 years old, “introduced me to pick-pocketing. I noticed he was coming to Obalende finely dressed with so much money.
“I told him I was looking for better job opportunity, and he assured me that he was going to assist me with one and when he was going to introduced me to one, he said I should be following him, while I learnt from him.
“I was following from behind and monitoring what he was doing. We were moving from one bus stops in Lagos to the other from morning till evening. He was stealing phones and wallets from passengers inside bus and at bus stops.
“Throughout the six months I followed him, we could pick 6 to 8 phones and wallets from people without them knowing. He kept everything to himself, but at the end of the day, he would give me between N4,000 to N6,000 depending on his wish.”
“I start operation at 6:00 p.m and I end at 9:00 p.m. My target is between 4 to 5 mobile phones in a day. Once I am able to hit that figure, I stop operation and I retire. I sell phones to a friend based in Lagos Island.
“In my rough estimation, I would have stolen 1,200 phones both by standing in Lagos bus stops and inside commercial buses.”
