Some officers attached to the Anti-Robbery Squad of the State Department of Criminal Investigation have arrested no fewer than 25 suspected robbers in the Gbagada area of Lagos State.
PUNCH Metro was told that the officers raided a scrap site, popularly called Polar, on Wednesday, after a tip-off that the suspects planned to attack some residents of a neighbouring estate.
Our correspondent learnt that during the raid, some of the robbers opened fire on the police, which was returned with equal firepower.
While some of the alleged suspects escaped, the police reportedly arrested 25 others who were not so lucky.
A source said, “We got a tip-off that the site, which was occupied by some scrap dealers, had become a den of robbers. Whenever any thief or armed robber stole anything and escape into the place, nobody can get him out.
“We also learnt that rape was rampant in the area and there were some hoodlums who kept weapons there. We mobilised and went there, but when they sighted us, they opened fire on the police while some of them took to their heels.
“Eventually, we were able to apprehend about 25 of them and they are already in custody.”
Our correspondent sighted a bag containing substances suspected to be hemp, and about five cutlasses, which were said to have been recovered from the suspects.
PUNCH Metro on Thursday visited the scene of the raid, where some of the residents denied that all the suspects were robbers, adding that many of those arrested were innocent.
A resident and member of the National Association of Scrap Dealers Employee of Nigeria, Kola Ogunnowo, said 15 of those arrested were members of the union.
He alleged that among those arrested were three women who sold noodles and other food to them at the site.
He said, “This site has been here for the past 35 years and we have over 250 people trying to make a living here.
“There are three estates around here ─ Atunrase, Gbagada Phase II, Medina─ and none of them have complained about our activities. There are four police stations around here, and they have had no cause to accuse us of robbery.
“We started having problems about two months ago when some people came with cutlasses and started asking people to leave the area. They sealed off some filling stations and firms, saying they had court papers.
“Two weeks later, some operatives from the State Anti-Robbery Squad, Ikeja, came and arrested some of us, saying we were occupying the land illegally.
“When the owner of the land showed up and told them he gave the place to us, they left us. A few days later, officers from Police Zone 2, Onikan, came and arrested us and asked us to leave the place. Again, after they saw the land owner, they released us.”
Another scrap dealer, who did not identify himself, said some members of the Oodua People’s Congress were used to harass them before the policemen from the SDCI were invited.
He said, “The policemen from the SDCI came in six vanagon buses and shot sporadically into the air. Nobody shot at them back. Instead, their bullets killed two of our dogs.”
However, a resident of Gbagada Phase II, Adigun Kareem, said the people in the community were tired of the activities of the scrap dealers.
Kareem said, “Most of them there are criminals. In the day time, they push their trucks around as if looking for scraps and metals, meanwhile their aim is to look for places to rob.
“In the night, they go into streets and sometimes block the road. When there is traffic jam on that expressway, they break into vehicles and steal valuables. They are terrible people.”
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Kenneth Nwosu, confirmed the incident, adding that 12 of the suspects had been released.
He said, “Twenty-one were arrested and a total of 12 found not culpable after screening. The remaining nine have been charged to court and remanded in prison.”
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