Operatives of the Rapid Respond Squad of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested a motorcyclist, Emmanuel Michael, for allegedly stealing his brother-in-law’s police vest and fez-cap to hijack a motorcycle in the Ita-Maga area of Ikorodu.
It was gathered that the 24-year-old Michael and his accomplices, Moses Ogeh and Ojonugwa Ojomeje, who posed as policemen, hijacked a motorcycle from the rider.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the suspects accosted the motorcyclist around 10pm and dispossessed him of his motorcycle by claiming to be policemen from a nearby station.
Our correspondent gathered that the motorcyclist, who reluctantly released the motorcycle to the suspects, raised the alarm, which drew the attention of the residents of the area and operatives of the RRS in the area.
According to the RRS, Michael’s in-law, whose police vest and fez-cap were stolen, had travelled at the time of the operation.
Ojomeje, who is the leader of the gang, alleged in his statement that some policemen had collected his motorcycle a week after he got it on hire purchase basis.
He said, “In July 2019, around 10pm, some men in police uniform collected my motorcycle at the Ikorodu bus stop. They told me they were members of the task force team from the Ebute Police Station. They advised me to meet them there, while they took the motorcycle away.
“I went from the Ebute Police Station to Ijede, Mola and the Ladigboye Police Post; there was no trace of the men. The motorcycle was my only means of livelihood and it was exactly a week after I got it on hire purchase terms for N280,000.
“I paid only N40,000 with a balance of N240,000 to settle the owner, Chinedu. ‘‘I searched for it in all the surrounding police stations but there was no record of it. In order to pay the balance as Chinedu wouldn’t take any excuse, I borrowed my friends’ motorcylces and I was able to pay another N40,000.
“I had a mobile police vest thrown away by a former neighbour in Obalende. I appealed to Michael to lend me his sister husband’s police uniform. The plan was to get a motorcycle for me and later on, I would pay them too after I might have offset my debt.”
Reacting to Ojomeje’s claim, the two other suspects claimed that they were charmed and made to take an oath by Ojomeje.
Our correspondent learnt that the suspects had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for further investigation.
The state Commissioner of Police, Zubairu Muazu, in his reaction, noted that the police would not relent in bringing to justice criminals, who impersonate the police.